Thomas Letsch was relatively unknown when he started at VfL Bochum. But the Swabian has worked his way up to become a coach with Bundesliga format.
At VfB Oberesslingen/Zell they still know Thomas Letsch as a player and as a coach – but at that time there was no “Letsch table”. According to midfielder Patrick Osterhage, they don’t officially exist in Bochum in the Bundesliga either: “We don’t look at the ‘Letsch table’, just the right one.
Before the game on Saturday (April 22, 2023) against Wolfsburg, there is still a lot of talk about it – because since the 54-year-old coach of the VfL Bochum is, relegation in the Bundesliga seems to be within reach.
First professional stations abroad
The ominous table describes the coach’s record since he took over on matchday eight. In the “Letsch table” there are eight wins, two draws and eleven defeats – makes 1.24 points per game and 26 points under the coach. Bochum has worked its way up to the non-relegation zone under him. Like Osterhage, he himself does not think much of these comparisons. “In the end there is only one table and that counts,” he explained in the podcast “Einfach Fußball” with Sven Pistor.
Coach Thomas Letsch in the outfit of RB Salzburg
Born in Swabia, he came to German professional football as a coach from various posts abroad. “I’m proud of the path I’ve taken. My happiness in life didn’t depend on the Bundesliga. I always wanted to have exciting projects,” he explained. From the Oberliga we went to Austria to the youth academy in Salzburg. There he suddenly made his debut as interim coach of the pros – after all, he scored four points in two games.
Letsch: “Matured in Arnhem at the latest”
Nevertheless, Letsch is self-critical: “I’ve already made a few mistakes, both in leading the team and in dealing with myself. I needed this maturity at first.” Via Liefering, Aue and Austria Wien, Letsch came to Vitesse Arnhem in the Dutch Eredevisie. “It was there at the latest that I noticed that I had become much clearer and that I had my way.”
The path then led him to Bochum as the successor to Thomas Reis. According to Letsch, he was viewed critically from the outside. He had heard a lot that Bochum was relegated anyway. “We can be all the more proud of where we have developed.” Development is also something that could be important against Wolfsburg.
The rest of the program leaves all chances open
Because VfL has been without a win for three games, albeit very unluckily: they drew against the strong teams from Frankfurt and Union Berlin, and there was a painful 2:3 home defeat against VfB Stuttgart. With three points, Bochum could now set themselves apart from the teams behind – especially since Stuttgart and Augsburg are taking points away from each other in the relegation battle.
The rest of Bochum’s program is quite challenging: the small derby against BVB is still waiting and the in-form Leverkusen team on the last day of the game. The games against direct competitors such as Augsburg and Hertha BSC are therefore important – and against opponents who are at least within reach of winning points. Like Wolfsburg or Mönchengladbach. And when the points are enough to keep them in the league, they may be happy to hang up the trainer’s balance sheet in the locker room.