After more than a year, Bochum’s Marcel Sobottka was back in action in the 2. Bundesliga. There are worse games than one against Schalke to end his dry spell.”

On December 20, 2024, Marcel Sobottka made his last 2. Bundesliga appearance. At the time, he was still playing for Fortuna Düsseldorf.

A long dry spell followed: He missed almost the entire second half of the season due to injuries, and his contract was not renewed. This winter, he transferred to VfL Bochum.

And his rough patch came to an end, of all places, in the heated derby against FC Schalke. In the 70th minute, he came on as a substitute for Callum Marshall. The midfielder then helped secure the 2-0 victory.

Afterward, the 31-year-old expressed his delight: “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 consecutive unbeaten game for Bochum, who climbed to eighth place thanks to the three points earned at home. After the game, Sobottka celebrated with coach Uwe Rösler. Sobottka, a former Schalke player, explained why the two of them walked so intimately toward a section of 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 friend.”

VfL’s next match is on Friday in Münster (6:30 p.m.). After facing top-tier teams, they now take on a team from the bottom of the table. But the standings are so tight that you can never let your guard down, as Sobottka knows: “As the eighth-place team, we’re only seven points ahead of last place—that shows just how close it is.”

He has respect for the upcoming opponent: “In terms of play, they’re a really good team. They have the most possession in their own half. Still, we want to win there; we want to stick to our game plan.”

I’m not a fan of the subjunctive. We can only influence our performance in the game or in practice. 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

To keep the momentum going. VfL is working harder and harder to turn around their poor start to the season. And Sobottka feels that they’re absolutely heading in the right direction. “You could see in the last few games that we have consistency on the field. We have a lot of young players on the team who still have a lot to learn. I can only really judge what I’ve seen since I’ve been here. The team is on the right track.”

That said, he’s not one to rush into setting new goals. Especially since a 12-point gap to the relegation spot is already a significant hurdle. “I’m not a fan of the subjunctive. We can only influence our performance in games or in practice. 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