Football Season Guide

Bochum survived by the skin of their teeth last season after a remarkable comeback win in their relegation play-off against Dusseldorf. The Blues were comfortably clear of the drop-zone in February, but a steady decline saw them reach dangerous ground. Interim boss Heiko Butscher led the escape after Thomas Letsch was sacked with just four games remaining. It wasn’t enough for Butscher to land the job permanently, so Bochum will start their fourth straight season in the top flight with Peter Zeidler in charge. Zeidler has plenty of experience having managed in a number of countries, and he likes his sides to play with plenty of aggression and passion. It will again be a tough battle for Bochum to stay afloat, especially after the loss of key midfielder Stoger, he was the standout performer for the club last season and will be missed. Osterhage is also another regular to depart from the midfield while Japanese attacker Asano has moved to Mallorca. This doesn't mean the replacements bought in won’t be a success. Dani de Wit has the capabilities of filling the shoes of Stoger in attacking midfield and Ibrahima Sissoko from Strasbourg is a shrewd signing for the defensive work in the centre of the park. The goalkeeping position also needed rectifying with long-term number one Manuel Riemann no longer required after continuous outbursts at his defence last season. Patrick Drewes is a reliable replacement with Timo Horn an experienced back-up from Salzburg. Bochum are a little light defensively and this will need addressing before the window shuts. They did secure the permanent transfer of Ivan Ordets, but were unable to do so for Keven Schlotterbeck, arguably their best defender last season.