Command class stay in the pot
Kellerkind VfL Bochum fishing himself for Dirk Dufner for chief positions
Kellerkind VfL Bochum fishing himself for Dirk Dufner for chief positions
30.03.2025, 6:22 p.m.
The relegation threatened VfL Bochum has a new managing director of sports. A man with Bundesliga experience comes to the district club. The last seven games are now about the very big goal.
VfL Bochum has made another important personnel decision in the middle of the relegation battle of the Bundesliga. From Monday, Dirk Dufner will occupy the recently vacant position as managing director of Sport at the club from Castroper Straße, this was announced by VfL. Only three days earlier had the Bochum announced the contract extension with coach Dieter Hecking.
Dufner receives a contract until 2027 and will work with Ilja Kaenzig in the management. “I am sure that he will help us with his experience and his network to make VfL a little better every day,” said Kaenzig. Dufner worked, among others, in the management of VfB Stuttgart, as a sports director at SC Freiburg and Hannover 96 and most recently from 2021 to 2023 as director of squad management at Hertha BSC.
Bochum knows only one goal: Bundesliga football in the coming year
“I burn it to tackle this demanding challenge with full energy,” said Dufner, “Bochum is a great and emotional club that we now want to develop in the best possible way for the next few years.” The sporting management at VfL was at the beginning of the season sports director Marc Lettau, but after the disappointing start of the season, as well as coach Peter Zeidler, it was released in autumn. Under Hecking, the Bochumers now have realistic chances of relegation again, seven game days before the end the team is 17. Two points from the relegation place.
The distance to the saving bank is five points. Hecking’s contract extension by 2027 applies to the first Bundesliga, but the coach also expressly did not rule out the remaining in the event of relegation. “We are very pleased that we made the selection unanimously and that we were able to meet the announced schedule until the end of March,” said Uwe Tigges, CEO of VfL Bochum. Now only the fight for relegation.
