VfL Bochum welcomes FC Schalke on Saturday. The penultimate against the last. A lot is at stake. We spoke to Bochum’s sporting director Patrick Fabian ahead of the derby.

On Saturday at 3:30 pm, the derby between VfL Bochum and FC Schalke will electrify the masses. Relegation battle in the Bundesliga. The penultimate expects the last. There are so many stories surrounding the game. He revealed to us how Bochum’s sports manager Patrick Fabian is going into the duel.

Patrick Fabian, after the disappointing performance in Bremen you found clear words, have you also worked through the 0:3 with the players?

First and foremost, it’s the coach’s job to analyse the situation and show what wasn’t good. But of course I also have one or two conversations with the boys – but that’s separate from the results. After a game like that in Bremen and before Schalke, there were definitely one or two additional conversations.

Schalke is on the upswing, VfL is in a negative run before the derby. What makes you confident for the game on Saturday?

It was clear to us that something like this could happen. It’s about the way you lose games. It wasn’t good against Bremen. We have worked through that. At the same time – and that’s the beauty of football – we now have a great chance to end the negative run in an emotional derby match. I am confident that the team has performed very well at home. We know that our stadium is a fist pump. Our fans will certainly whip us forward, and we want to take advantage of that.

What is important on Saturday?

We don’t need to talk around the fact that the match is very important because of the derby character and also because of the table position. A lot of emotions will be carried into it. We have to channel them in such a way that we bring positive emotions to the pitch, but at the same time keep a cool head. We have to focus on what’s happening on the pitch.

In the media, the issue of rice is boiled up, is it also an issue for you or is the chapter closed?

It is no surprise that the topic is taken up and boiled up before the derby. It is unavoidable. We try to fade it out. After the game, we have to make sure that the chapter is closed. There comes a time when it’s over. Now we have to put our energy into the team.

Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann is expecting a home game for his club in Bochum, what do you expect?

Our fans will show that this is not the case on Saturday. cb / gp