German Football League - "Bild": Bochum hires Zeidler as their new head coach.
Bochum football club has named Peter Zeidler as their new head coach. This information can be found in a recent article from the "Bild" newspaper. It is mentioned that Zeidler agreed to a two-year contract with an additional year's option. The team managed to triumphantly evade relegation during the relegation play-offs just a few days ago.
Indeed, Zeidler has served as a coach at Bochum since their promotion in 2021 and will replace Heiko Butscher, who's been acting as coach since September 2022, following the disbandment between Thomas Reis, and after Thomas Letsch's suspension in early April 2024. Butscher, a previous defender who coached the youth and briefly assisted the professionals in Bochum since 2015 upon his retirement, will now lead the U23 squad and the youth academy.
Prior to his time in Bochum, Zeidler has been a co-coach under Ralf Rangnick at TSG Hoffenheim. He joined the Swiss first division club, FC St. Gallen, in 2018 where he managed to notch some successes despite their limited financial resources. Although Zeidler is anticipated to be a free acquisition, his contract with FC St. Gallen was still binding until 2027.
Zeidler faces a significant task in rejuvenating the Bochum team. Since their successful relegation match against Fortuna Düsseldorf that saw them come from behind from a 0:3 deficit and win the game in a penalty shootout, various players will be leaving the club. Most notably, midfielder Patrick Osterhage's transfer to SC Freiburg has already been confirmed. Playmaker Kevin Stöger, a fast winger, Takuma Asano, team captain Keven Schlotterbeck (who's just on loan from Freiburg), and goalkeeper Andreas Luthe (who's retiring) are also likely to depart. Despite rumors that former first-choice goalkeeper Manuel Riemann might return, his dismissal before the two final relegation games suggests otherwise.
As of now, efforts are ongoing to find a new sports director to serve as Zeidler's superior. Patrick Fabian, who announced his contract termination in June, had been linked to the club in various capacities – as a youth player, professional, and manager – for a whopping 24 years. The identity of his successor remains undisclosed.
