New Bochum coach Hecking hailed after 1-1 draw with Leverkusen

Gerrit Holtmann was full of praise for Dieter Hecking after the new Bochum coach led his team to a 1-1 draw with champions Bayer Leverkusen.

New VfL Bochum coach Dieter Hecking got off to a flying start in his new job on Saturday, leading his side to a 1-1 draw with champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Bochum winger Gerrit Holtmann believes Hecking was the key to the draw, which earned the bottom club their second point of the season.

“He is an outstanding coach with charisma and aura, who gives us something. You believe everything he says. He has given us a sense of security,” said Holtmann, as quoted by Kicker.

“We realized we could get them today. That’s the way to go.”

Hecking himself was modest in his assessment of his first game in charge.

“I would have been happy with the team today, even if we had lost 1-0. They played an excellent game. It was not something that was a matter of course. It’s never easy when you start working with a new coach who wants to bring in new things,” he said.

“This could be a turning point in the season. But we have to play like that 24 more times,” added Hecking, referring to the fact that there are still 24 games left in the season.

Bochum sit bottom of the Bundesliga table with 2 points from their opening 10 games.