VfL is “priority” for Stöger, Euro participation would be “insane”

Kevin Stöger wants to help VfL Bochum stay in the league with his performances. Strong performances could have a nice side effect.

Kevin Stöger was a regular in Austria’s youth national teams. The midfielder for Bundesliga club VfL Bochum played 17 times for Austria’s U21 team, scoring four goals.

He is still waiting for a nomination for the senior national team. Even at the age of 30, it has not happened yet. But there is still hope. In the last round of nominations, Stöger, whose contract in Bochum expires at the end of the current season, was at least on standby.

This shows that Austria’s coach Ralf Rangnick has the midfielder on his radar, despite the fierce competition that now lurks in the Austrian midfield.

It is no coincidence that Austria finished second behind Belgium in its qualifying group for the 2024 European Championship in Germany with only one defeat in eight games.

The 2-0 win against Germany a few days ago also proves that Austria should no longer be underestimated. Stöger also saw the game. His opinion: “The game against Germany was awesome, the result was deserved.”

It would be amazing if I could be part of a European Championship

Kevin Stöger

And with an eye on the European Championship, the 30-year-old still hopes he can jump on the bandwagon. However, his priorities are clear, as he told RS: “It would be amazing if I could play in a European Championship. But the focus is on Bochum first, that’s the priority. I want to perform well here and achieve the goal I’ve set myself. Namely, to stay in the Bundesliga with VfL. We’ll see what happens after that. If I perform well, it could be something the coach considers, but it’s up to him. I’ll give it my all.”

So far, he’s been successful, as his record this season is impressive. Eleven appearances, three goals, two assists. Stöger explains: “I’ve set myself some scoring targets, but staying up as a team is more important. Of course, I’m also happy when I score or set up goals.” cb / gp