After more than a year, Bochum’s Marcel Sobottka was allowed to play in the 2nd Bundesliga again. There are worse games than against Schalke to end your period of suffering.”

Marcel Sobottka made his last second division appearance on December 20, 2024, when he was still playing for Fortuna Düsseldorf.

A long period of suffering followed: he was almost completely sidelined in the second half of the season due to injuries, and his contract was not renewed. In the winter, he transferred to VfL Bochum. And it was in the heated derby against FC Schalke that his period of suffering came to an end. In the 70th minute, he came on as a substitute for Callum Marshall. The midfielder then helped secure the 2-0 victory. After the game, the 31-year-old was delighted: “There are worse clubs to make your debut against, especially when you win the game. Those were three important points, and the atmosphere was outstanding. We can build on that.”

It was the seventh unbeaten game in a row for Bochum, who climbed to eighth place thanks to the three points at home. After the game, Sobottka celebrated with coach Uwe Rösler. Former Schalke player Sobottka explained why the two ran so enthusiastically toward the stands. “It was a special situation because we had a mutual friend in the stands. So the coach grabbed me and pointed to our buddy.”

VfL now continue their campaign on Friday in Münster (6:30 p.m.). After facing the top teams, they now face a team from the bottom of the table. But the table is so tight that you can never sit back and relax, as Sobottka knows: “We are eighth, only seven points ahead of the team in last place, which shows how close it is.”

He has respect for the upcoming opponent: “They’re a really good team in terms of their play. They have the most possession in their own half. Nevertheless, we want to win there, we want to do our thing.”

I’m not a fan of the subjunctive. We can only influence our performance in the game or in training. Everyone is an athlete through and through. But you don’t have to set goals for what might happen in three or four months.“

Marcel Sobottka

So that the trend continues. VfL is working harder and harder to correct its poor start to the season. And Sobottka feels that the direction is absolutely right. ”You could see in the last few games that we have consistency on the pitch. We have a lot of young players who still have a lot to learn. I can only judge what I’ve seen since I’ve been here. The team is on the right track.”

However, he is not a fan of prematurely announcing new goals. Especially since twelve points behind the relegation spot is already a considerable burden. “I’m not a fan of the subjunctive. We can only influence our performance in games or training. Everyone is an athlete through and through. But you don’t have to set goals for what might happen in three or four months.” gp / cb