Dhe grumpy person that Jörg Schmadtke always wears has something charming about it. He just likes it quirky and finds his way with it. Whether at Alemannia Aachen, Hannover 96 or 1. FC Köln: What the former goalkeeper sorted as a manager or managing director led to astonishing success in the initial enthusiasm, but then ended in adversity.
Whoever asks Schmadtke about it, experiences either a smart or a stubborn decision-maker. At VfL Wolfsburg, he and sports director Marcel Schäfer decided on Sunday that Mark van Bommel had failed as head coach. After nine Bundesliga match days. In the middle of the group stage of the Champions League.
Correcting Van Bommel’s personality requires a look back. In Bruno Labbadia, VfL had a successful coach who still had to leave in 2019. At Schmadtke’s request, Oliver Glasner was brought in, who, despite even more success, was unable to find a common denominator with Schmadtke.
Now VfL says that there were “more dividing than connecting factors”. Six weeks ago, VfL was the team of the hour in the Bundesliga thanks to four wins in a row. The fact that everything now seems hopeless after a few defeats not only raises questions for van Bommel, but also brings fundamental concerns into play.
It is correct: Van Bommel did not succeed in making a clear game idea visible within around two months. Glasner preferred to switch quickly and thus led VfL into the Champions League. Van Bommel preferred a game strategy characterized by dominance and possession.
Taking over the good and adding to it profitably did not work. The resulting failure is due to van Bommel and his coaching team. He now has to live with the stigma of having found something heavenly in Wolfsburg and having failed.
Own defects in Wolfsburg
However, it is also correct: Anyone who, like Schmadtke and Schäfer, has to make such elementary corrections within a very short time reveals their own shortcomings. Choosing against Glasner and for van Bommel was already pure luxury. After all, Schmadtke admitted the day after van Bommel was released that the quick separation was a defeat for him too. To put it even more harshly: If the managing director and sports director are wrong again when it comes to the successor solution for van Bommel, there are limits to their own further development in Wolfsburg.
As an interim solution, Michael Frontzeck can prove himself until further notice. In the summer he switched to VfL at Van Bommel’s side, as an ideal assistant with many years of experience. In addition, Frontzeck has been a close confidante of Schmadtke for decades. That may have a taste or be helpful for the transition.
In any case, VfL is looking for a new coach who not only fits the team, international goals and the basic idea of the club. Van Bommel’s successor must first and foremost be a good match for the boss. In view of the coaching turbulence that Schmadtke has caused since he started in 2018, this is a pretty high hurdle.
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