Despite the spin-off of the professional division, VfL Bochum has not yet presented an investor. CEO Hans-Peter Villis explains the reasons.
At the annual general meeting in the fall of 2017, the members of VfL Bochum voted in favor of spinning off the professional division. More than six years later, the presentation of an investor is still a long time coming. Bochum CEO Hans-Peter Villis explained why in an interview with the WAZ newspaper.
“We have often been accused of having outsourced and there is still no result,” said the 65-year-old, referring to the “complexity of the decision”. According to Villis, there are interested parties. But those responsible at VfL do not want to put themselves under any pressure. “It has to be 100 percent right.” Further rounds of talks will be held until the right investor is found.
And what should this person stand for? “He must understand the DNA of VfL, ideally bring it with him. He must be enthusiastic about Bochum soccer, he must know our philosophy. We want an investor who lives and breathes VfL Bochum, who supports us strategically and financially. We don’t need someone who wants to call the shots,” explained Villis.
One thing is clear: even without an investor, Bochum’s sporting development took a positive course. At the time of the vote on the spin-off, VfL was in the bottom half of the Bundesliga 2 table. The club is currently in its third year in the Bundesliga and has maneuvered itself into a good starting position for staying in the league before the winter break
“We are simply happy to be part of this league and to be able to play in it as a traditional club with our resources,” emphasized Villis. However, the entry of an investor would offer VfL other options: “It would certainly be possible to increase the squad budget, for example. That was one of our main reasons for the spin-off at the time. We could perhaps reach for a different shelf – even though we have already significantly increased the squad budget for this season. We started with twelve million euros in the promotion year and are now at around 40 million euros. Without an investor. We are proud of that. “