32nd matchday: The silence of the forest side: Union’s silence in Bochum’s celebration

32nd matchday The silence of the forest side: Union’s silence in Bochum’s celebration

VfL Bochum celebrates a goal-rich away win at Union Berlin in the relegation battle. photo

© Andreas Gora/dpa

As if the 3:4 against Bochum wasn’t bad enough. A little later, Union Berlin received the news of Mainz’s draw in Heidenheim. VfL is cheering, FSV is getting closer and the Iron Men are shaking.

Rani Khedira fought back tears. Christopher Trimmel seemed totally disoriented. While the VfL Bochum players gathered in front of their fan block for a cheering group photo, the silence on the side of the forest was worse than a blow from a club.

The iconic stand where the most loyal of the faithful stand and have sung fervently about their unbreakable love for their club after every Union Berlin game in almost five years of the Bundesliga, no matter how good, no matter how bad. And now: silence.

Only after lead singer Ali made an announcement to the dismayed professionals were the obligatory slogans loudly recited. The magic of the Iron Men has vanished with these scenes, which appear interchangeably in all Bundesliga stadiums in times of crisis. The Union Berlin system seems quite fragile after the 3:4 (0:3) against Bochum. The lead over the relegation place has dwindled to one point after FSV Mainz 05’s 1-1 draw in Heidenheim, and direct relegation is still a threat.

“It has been seen that we can only do it together. With the virtues that have made us strong,” said Khedira. Together? The crucial question that needs to be clarified at the beginning of the week in Berlin-Köpenick is whether coach Nenad Bjelica will still be there when the necessary points to stay in the Bundesliga are scored in the games against 1. FC Cologne and against SC Freiburg must be fetched. “I’m the wrong person to talk to,” Khedira said.

Khedira: “Pulled the plug myself”

The right person to contact is President Dirk Zingler and with his DAZN interview shortly before kick-off he seemed to be trying very hard to bring calm with a media scolding and a defiant declaration of loyalty to the coach. That was gone again with the half-time whistle. 0:3. This was also the case in the Iron Men’s first Bundesliga game against RB Leipzig in August 2019. It was a lesson back then. This time it was a dismantling. “Maybe we went a bit overboard and pulled the plug ourselves. No explanation,” said Khedira. And added: “Smooth six.”

Bjelica herself seemed as monotone as ever. The game analysis is a treatise of the obvious events, the outlook is on the verge of slogans for perseverance. He believes in his team, he said. But the question is whether the team still believes in him. The tabloid has long been writing that Marie-Louise Eta, who was already on the sidelines with Marco Grote in November after the separation from Urs Fischer, could now take over. Zingler will have to give answers quickly, especially since managing director Oliver Ruhnert no longer appears to be present.

Wittek with the double pack

Bochum coach Heiko Butscher’s worries were minor in comparison. Of course, you have to analyze why his team got into trouble again after a 3-0 lead, as they did in the 3-2 win against Hoffenheim. But Bochum’s festive mood with a three-point lead over the relegation zone and definitely sufficient cushion over the direct relegation zone was understandable. Staying in the league against champions Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday of all days would be another coup.

Maximilian Wittek (16th/31st minute), Keven Schlotterbeck (37th) and Philipp Hofmann (70th) scored the goals for the relieved guests on Sunday in the sold-out stadium at the Alte Försterei with 22,012 spectators. “We took a big step today. We still have two difficult games ahead of us. But we want to stay in the league, nothing else counts,” said Wittek. Yorbe Vertessen (59th), Chris Bedia (62nd) with his first Bundesliga goal and Benedict Hollerbach (74th) provided ultimately worthless moments of hope for Berlin.

dpa

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