January 22nd, 2021 by Philipp Rentsch
Rolling through history books is probably not the greatest hobby of VfL goalkeeper Manuel Riemann. But he would discover something exciting. Because VfL Bochum was last as successful as it is now, measured in terms of points, 25 years ago. In the event of a win on Sunday in the first half of the season in Sandhausen, the account could grow to 35 points. “That is of course our goal,” says goalkeeper Manuel Riemann.
Team spirit and ambition
The 32-year-old has long been an undisputed regular at VfL Bochum and has developed into an important and at the same time secure support. “He’s a crazy guy in a positive sense,” says coach Thomas Reis. “In terms of sport, but also off the pitch, he is very important to us.” The games in front of empty stands show that Riemann is a leading player and recognized spokesman within the team. Again and again he gives instructions, even to the strikers.
According to Manuel Riemann, the fact that VfL Bochum has developed from relegation to promotion candidate in the past twelve months is due to two factors: team spirit on the one hand, winning mentality on the other. “Exactly what I have criticized for years developed especially during the Corona break – for whatever reason. We now act extremely as a team, we accept each other, and I think you can see that too, ”says Riemann.
Riemann talks about advancement
The goalkeeper believes that solidarity can become the decisive factor this season: “The team that appears most frequently as a team will rise.” He never missed football quality at VfL, but other factors: “We had this urge to succeed not everyone. That is why our performance and results were so fluctuating. ”It is not asking too much,“ that we give full throttle two hours a day in training or in a game.
According to Manuel Riemann, the team behind the team is also responsible for this development: “The coaches, the medical department, Patrick Fabian and Sebastian Schindzielorz and many others are part of it.” Which table position VfL could land at the end of this season , a lot of players don’t want to talk about that yet. Manuel Riemann makes an exception: “Our path doesn’t have to, but it can end in the Bundesliga.” Then a new entry in the history book would also be due …
(Photo: Imago / Jan Huebner)
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