VfL Bochum is the roughest team in the second division – at least according to the fair play table.
In their recent 1-1 draw with Holstein Kiel, the VfL Bochum players really went at it in the 2nd division: Timo Horn, Philipp Strompf, Maximilian Wittek, Mats Pannewig, and Gerrit Holtmann all received yellow cards.
This is not an isolated case. Bochum have already received a total of 44 yellow cards in the current season – the highest number in the second division. It is noteworthy that no Bochum player has been sent off yet. There are no yellow-red or red cards in the statistics.
Nevertheless, VfL Bochum is in last place in the fair play table on “transfermarkt.de.” That’s because the 44 yellow cards have earned VfL 44 points, more than almost any other second division team.
VfL is therefore constantly operating in a gray area that Eintracht Braunschweig, which has the same number of points, has already crossed several times. Although coach Heiner Backhaus’s team has received significantly fewer yellow cards than Bochum, with 21, it has already received one yellow-red card and four red cards.
The most recent incident: After his outburst in the Lower Saxony derby against Hannover 96, Erencan Yardimci, a professional player for second division club Eintracht Braunschweig, has been suspended for three games. The German Football Association (DFB) announced this penalty imposed by the sports court on Monday. Braunschweig and Yardimci have agreed to the ruling, making it legally binding.
On Sunday, the striker grabbed his opponent by the throat with both hands and was shown a red card in the 20th minute. The DFB sports court ruled this as “assault against an opponent after a previous unsportsmanlike act committed against him.” With one man down, Braunschweig had no chance and lost 0-3 (0-2).
Incidentally, the fairest team in the second division is SV Darmstadt 98. The Lilies have received just twelve yellow cards and one yellow-red card. Schalke 04 is in tenth place with 24 yellow cards and one yellow-red card.