Bundesliga: VfL Bochum part ways with coach Peter Zeidler

(dpa) VfL Bochum have pulled out of a poor start to the season and parted ways with coach Peter Zeidler, who was only hired in the summer, and sporting director Marc Lettau. The bottom of the table announced this one day after the 3-1 defeat at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.

Bochum caused the first sacking of the coach in the current Bundesliga season. After eight competitive matches without a win, the Revierclub had lost faith in the work of the 62-year-old football teacher Zeidler. There is currently no substitute. It was said that the club will let you know about the next steps as soon as possible.

“There is a lack of certainty that VfL can achieve the goal of staying in the league with the current personnel negotiations,” the club said in a statement. “Despite many discussions and efforts in recent weeks In the past, it has not been possible to achieve significant improvements in terms of sports or tables.”

The first round out of the cup at the club of the second division Regensburg (0: 1) as well as the unsuccessful Bundesliga matches against Leipzig (0: 1), Mönchengladbach (0: 2), Freiburg (1: 2) ), Kiel (2:2), Dortmund (2:4), Wolfsburg (1:3) and Hoffenheim (1:3) have been too heavy a burden for Zeidler. The fall to last place in the table prompted the club’s management to take action. VfL have picked up just one point this Bundesliga season.

Less credit than before

Unlike his former club FC St. Gallen, where Zeidler stayed from 2018 to 2024 and thus became the longest-serving coach in the Swiss top league, had to leave Bochum after just a few months. He was supposed to start the rebuilding of the Revierclub after the separation from Thomas Letsch last April and the successful rescue mission of interim solution Heiko Butscher with the narrow victory in the relegation against Düsseldorf.

But unlike the beginning of last season, when the first victory only came on the tenth match day and Letsch was still in his position, Zeidler had less faith. According to reports, it was not only the lack of success but also the atmosphere within the team that contributed to the separation. Furthermore, after several dips in the team’s performance in the second half, accusations were made that the professionals lacked fitness.

Zeidler was still fighting after the defeat at TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday: “This is a team that lives. People know that I identify completely with myself, that I am hardworking and also very capable. And since that is the case, I am the coach of VfL Bochum and I hope for a long time.”

Is Breitenreiter coming now?

The team at the bottom now wants to search for a new football teacher. According to reports, former FCZ and Schalke coach André Breitenreiter is one of the candidates. The 51-year-old was forced to leave the coaching chair at English second division side Huddersfield last May and was already considered a candidate for the Bochum coaching job this summer.

Zeidler’s successor has a tough starting program ahead of him. In the next four matches, VfL will all face top teams like FC Bayern, Eintracht Frankfurt, Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart.