VfB Bottrop is in crisis. A few weeks ago, the club was still considered a sure bet for promotion to the Oberliga. Recently, VfB lost three games in a row.
What is going on with VfB Bottrop? That’s what observers of the Landesliga Niederrhein Group 2 will be asking themselves.
In 2026, Bottrop has only managed one win so far, drawing once and losing three games in a row. Most recently, they suffered a clear defeat, losing 1-5 to VfB Speldorf.
“We had big plans for the game, but there was little sign of that on the pitch. After 20 minutes, it was already 0-3. Speldorf played excellently both defensively and offensively. In the second half, both teams then shifted down a gear. I hope that was the final wake-up call for everyone in the team,” explains Raphael Steinmetz.
The former professional and striker also knows that there is a lot of disappointment in Bottrop. At the same time, he emphasizes that the team set the bar very high in the first half of the season. “If we had lost the three games on match days 4, 9, and 13, no one would have complained. But now we haven’t won four times in a row, losing three of those games. This phase is, of course, anything but positive,” says Steinmetz.
There are still eleven games to play, which is a third of the season. That’s why it would be irresponsible to make any predictions at this point. We are fully in the promotion race, and the three defeats have not changed that.
Raphael Steinmetz
The 31-year-old, who has already scored 16 goals this season, goes on to explain: “We’re not a super team like Bayern. Even the last person should understand that by now. And even Bayern have problems when their top eleven aren’t on the pitch. It’s similar for us. We have to play with our best players, and they all have to be in top shape.”
It’s close among the top four teams in the table: ESC Rellinghausen has 46 points, SV Budberg has 45, VfB Bottrop has 44, and SV Scherpenberg, with one game in hand, has 42. “There are still eleven games to play, so a third of the season remains. That’s why it would be irresponsible to make any predictions at this stage. We are fully in the promotion race, and the three defeats haven’t changed that,” emphasizes Steinmetz. He adds: “But if we want to stay in the race until the end, we have to change something. Everyone should understand that by now.”
