Dirk Dufner, sporting director at VfL Bochum, talks about the current personnel situation in an interview with RS. There are still a few “unknowns,” but otherwise the squad is complete.
Three weeks before the start of the 2nd Bundesliga season, VfL Bochum is already well advanced in its squad planning. The Bundesliga relegated club has already presented nine new signings, most recently officially announcing the return of Kevin Vogt.
In an interview with RS, sporting director Dirk Dufner certainly seems relaxed. “We have lost a lot of players, but we have already been able to implement much of what we set out to do. Of course, there are still a few unknowns: which players will leave us and how we will react to that. We’ll see whether we need to make further adjustments in one area or another. But basically, the squad is set if no one else leaves us now,“ said Dufner, giving an insight into the squad planning. Among the ‘unknowns’ are midfielders Ibrahima Sissoko and Matus Bero. Both professionals could still leave the club. Dufner: ”It’s no secret that Sissoko would like to play in the first division again. The same goes for Bero, who naturally wants to stay in the national team. Accordingly, we have to see if any offers come in that we find tempting. Otherwise, they’ll stay with us.“ However, Bochum has not yet received any attractive offers.
”If there is an opportunity to sell Sissoko for a reasonable price, then we will definitely do so. Those are our constraints, and it makes no sense to keep a player who receives a good offer and wants to leave the club,” explains Bochum’s sporting director. The VfL will kick off the 2025/26 second division season on August 2 (1 p.m.) at SV Darmstadt. Dufner has high hopes for his squad as a whole: “I definitely think that with the squad we currently have at our disposal, we have the opportunity to compete at the top.” The fact that squad planning is almost complete at this early stage will certainly please head coach Dieter Hecking, who will be able to complete the long preparation phase with the majority of the team. with gp