VfL boss Kaenzig warns: Bochum must deliver now

Staying in the league has been achieved at VfL Bochum – but for managing director Ilja Kaenzig, that's only the minimum requirement. After a season which, according to his account, began with a false start, pulled the club early into a relegation battle, and yet ended in ninth place, VfL is now looking ahead to a summer that leaves little room for error both athletically and economically.

Clear decisions instead of transition

Kaenzig (52) makes it clear that there should be no "transition" at VfL, but decisions. "We are discussing the season internally with a larger group. And don't worry: it will be a ruthless analysis," he announces. The club is "aware of the mistakes" and has "already initiated measures." At the same time, Kaenzig describes the task that lies ahead for the summer: coach Uwe Rösler has stipulated that after his vacation "a new team will be on the pitch."

The false start shapes the season's record

Why Bochum did not come to rest for a long time despite finishing ninth is explained by Kaenzig mainly with the start. He says that after eight games, VfL had only three points – a situation that immediately created maximum pressure. "Honestly, we are relieved. We had 3 points after 8 games. We were very nervous," says Kaenzig.

In this logic, individual results also become turning points: after the 4:1 against Braunschweig and the 2:1 against Fürth, "a burden was lifted," and the point in the 1:1 in Bielefeld was later "worth gold." Kaenzig's conclusion: VfL wants to look ahead – and above all experience a season without another false start that forces all planning into crisis mode early on.

"Good transfers" instead of just good players

Kaenzig is most explicit when it comes to squad planning. He basically defends working with loans if they enable VfL to have a quality that would otherwise hardly be financially feasible. At the same time, he admits that the impact of permanently signed players has been "varied."

With Philipp Strompf, Kaenzig points to his role as a regular player, with Kevin Vogt to a season with many injuries. And in attack, he says that they had "expected significantly more" from Ibrahim Sissoko and Mathis Clairicia. From this record, Kaenzig derives the decisive benchmark for the summer: "One insight is: We don't need good players, we need good transfers."

This is more than just a catchy phrase. What is meant is a more precise hit rate: signings must not only bring theoretical quality, but also fit into the structure – in roles, in the dressing room, in the financial reality. Especially for a club that cannot simply buy again if a plan fails, accuracy of fit becomes a central competitive factor.

Less budget, more need for precision – and for a talent pipeline

Kaenzig also expects the financial framework to become tighter. "The budget will not be as high as last season," he says – also referring to less leeway with TV money. For Bochum, this means: mistakes in squad planning will not only be costly in sporting terms, but immediately in business terms, because they are harder to correct.

At the same time, Kaenzig puts the pure focus on the licensing budget into perspective, especially in the 2nd division. What matters is "that we form a team." And that, he says, "was achieved too late this season." As a consequence, he links sport and budget to a clear message: if resources decrease, the squad must come together more quickly – otherwise the price will be paid in the table over weeks and months.

Kaenzig becomes even more fundamental when it comes to transfer revenues. He says that VfL has historically "almost never paid transfer fees" – and can only do so if it generates revenues itself. As a target figure, he names around eight million euros per year to keep up with comparable clubs in the benchmark. In this context, he also refers to a current "youth pillar," which has brought in about 2.5 million euros – with the caveat that it is not yet clear whether Bochum will again be able to field so many young German players to this extent in the future.

From Kaenzig's point of view, there is no way around a reliable talent pipeline – not as a romantic idea, but as part of the business model. "Not can: MUST! It is imperative," he says. Cajetan Lenz must "not be an exception"; VfL needs "to have a Lenz every year plus others." Kaenzig also justifies this with a self-critical interim assessment: in the transition area between U19 and professionals, the club has lost money in the past because talents did not make the leap onto the pitch.

In this way, the managing director lays out the tasks for the summer: Bochum wants to move up again in sporting terms – but must secure this ambition at the same time with a smaller budget, a higher transfer hit rate, and reliable development of its own players. Staying in the league ends the acute worry of the past season. Kaenzig's message is: The real work begins now.