Virkus: “We had to dig deep, which we did”

In an interview after the away game against VfL Bochum, Borussia’s sporting director Roland Virkus spoke about the game being abandoned and the team’s performance.

Roland, unfortunately Borussia’s game in Bochum came to an early and abrupt end yesterday. What do you have to say about what happened in the 70th minute?

Roland Virkus: First and foremost, I hope that Christian Gittelmann, who was taken to hospital for a check-up last night, is doing well and will fully recover. Referees are an integral part of football. We need them and have to protect them, and that doesn’t apply to just the Bundesliga.  

After the cup was thrown, both the officials and the teams quickly left for the dressing rooms. What happened then, and what were the discussions like with the officials and VfL Bochum?

Virkus: The officials did a good job of informing both teams. Despite the unusual circumstances of this situation, our communication with VfL Bochum was also good. I would like to make clear that an incident like this is entirely unacceptable and should be harshly criticised, which the club have done. However, this should not be used to give the entire club a bad name. VfL don’t deserve that. To have a game end like this is frustrating for both the players and everyone involved. It was definitely the right decision to abandon the game after what happened. I would also like to add that we had taken a deserved 2-0 lead by that point and can see ourselves as having won on the pitch.

Let’s talk about what happened before the incident. What do you think of the team’s performance up until that moment?

Virkus: During the first half, it was a very tough game which is why I was very happy to see how the team approached the game. We have often been criticised – sometimes deservedly so – for not being able to cope well with set-backs. However, that’s exactly what we managed to do in Bochum. We know that it didn’t always look good. We really had to dig deep, which is what we did.

Was the team’s fighting spirit the key to the clear improvement in their performance after the change of ends?

Virkus: After the break, we managed to play our game and play to our strengths. Of course we also needed some strong saves from Yann Sommer, but then we managed to score two quick goals which lessened some of the pressure we were under and were also a reward for our hard work thus far. In my opinion, if you bring the same levels of intensity, desire and tactical discipline to the table as your opponents, then it always comes down to the quality of your football in the end.

We were able to have 2,500 Borussia fans travel with us to Bochum. What impact do you think that has on the team’s performance?

Virkus: Football is a very emotional sport, and the fans can have a big impact on driving these emotions. Things like winning a challenge or a strong dribble being rewarded with positive encouragement gives the players the confidence to play to their best. We haven’t been able to get that reaction on a consistent basis for a while now, and I think yesterday’s game and the one against Hertha BSC showed just how important that support is for us.

Finally, let’s touch on yesterday’s game again. In a similar case in April 2011, a game in Hamburg between St. Pauli and Schalke 04 was abandoned with Schalke leading 2-0, after a linesman was hit by a cup thrown from the stands. The DFB ended up awarding the away team a 2-0 win. Can you see there being any other outcome in Borussia’s current situation?

Virkus: The officials are finalising a special report which will be presented to the appropriate decision-making body. I assume that there will be a timely decision made that does justice to what happened in Bochum.