Keeper wants to return to the pros
Exiled Manuel Riemann sues VfL Bochum
Manuel Riemann no longer has a future at VfL Bochum. The former regular goalkeeper and crowd favorite is no longer allowed to train with the Bochum pros after a serious falling out in the relegation battle in May. He is now taking legal action against this.
The dispute between VfL Bochum and Manuel Riemann has legal consequences. The goalkeeper has sued the Bundesliga football club. As the labor court in Bochum announced, the 35-year-old is claiming to be participating in the professional training sessions. In May, shortly before the end of the season, VfL released Riemann from his duties for the relegation match against Fortuna Düsseldorf, while continuing to pay his salary, and justified this measure with “irreconcilable differences of opinion on team-related issues.”
According to reports, Riemann had repeatedly clashed with teammates. According to the club, it was not a “suspension or punishment”. But the goalkeeper was still left out at the start of preparations for the new season. Riemann will not be taking part in training “until further notice”, the club announced on the day training began. Despite a few lapses, the 35-year-old was always considered unchallenged in Bochum, and he has played 290 competitive games for the club since his move in 2015.
In the meantime, two new goalkeepers have been signed: Patrick Drewes and Timo Horn. Riemann's contract runs until summer 2025. Bochum is offering the goalkeeper the opportunity to take part in the team training of the U21 team, which plays in the fifth-tier Oberliga after its reintroduction, or to train individually with one of the goalkeeping coaches. The conciliation hearing in this matter will take place next Friday (12.20 p.m.). According to information from “Funke Medien”, Riemann has not yet accepted the club's offer of an amicable settlement.
