Bochum (dpa) – The dance into May did not end until the early hours of the morning. The Bochum pros spontaneously and exuberantly celebrated staying in the Bundesliga in their local bar district of Bermuda-Dreieck.
The surprising 4: 3 (2: 2) at the district neighbor Borussia Dortmund, with which the promoted team reached its goal for the season without outside help, increased the desire for a great party.
“It’s the crowning glory of the season when you make it clear that you stay up in the league with a win at BVB,” said VfL coach Thomas Reis. “We made the whole of Bochum proud”. Overwhelmed by the splendid performance in front of more than 80,000 spectators in Dortmund, he gave his players the green light for a long night shortly after the final whistle.
It fits the picture of a team with a lot of mentality that a clear defeat proved to be a key experience on the way to rescue. After the 7-0 defeat at FC Bayern on the 5th matchday in mid-September, VfL ranked penultimate in the table with just three points and was considered a safe relegation candidate alongside fellow promoted team Greuther Fürth. “We have come out stronger from many setbacks this season,” commented midfielder Milos Pantovic.