NAfter the second Wolfsburg goal, he lived out his exhilaration when he clenched his fists for a leap of joy. Florian Kohfeldt spared himself further triumphant gestures during his successful comeback in the Bundesliga. “I would have found it strange if a coach who has just been there for four days does the fat one,” he said, explaining his emotional reluctance to win VfL Wolfsburg 2-0 in Leverkusen.
The 39-year-old from Bremen, who lived out his feelings in the three and a half years at the popular SV Werder Bremen between November 2017 and May 2021 and was released shortly before the relegation of the green-whites, has from the ups and downs of this time , which was draining for him in the end, learned a lesson: namely that he wants to accompany the games of his new green-whites from the Lower Saxony group club with “a bit more sovereignty and rationality” without denying his own emotionality.
Kohfeldt, who used the six-month football break to work through the nerve-wracking time in Bremen, which oscillated between bold dreams of advancement of reaching European regions and sheer fears of relegation that came true in the previous season. In East Lower Saxony, his international longing will come true on Tuesday when VfL fights for winter in the league of the best in the Champions League home game against RB Salzburg. The first sign of their return to the winners of the scene was VfL on Kohfeldt’s debut on Saturday with a win at Bayer 04, which the Werkself, who had been one of the league’s sky-strikers for weeks, could never endanger.
Not an omniscient healer
Even the penalty awarded to the Rhinelander after Lacroix grabbed the jersey against the escaping Alario could not be used by the fouled (90th + 5th minute). Casteels parried Alario’s shot after referee Aytekin showed the French central defender the red card. What was remembered from this Bundesliga Saturday in Leverkusen was the serenity and self-confidence with which the Wolfsburg team ended their series of eight competitive games without a win.
In the short time that Kohfeldt stayed since the first training session on Thursday, he has reached the hearts and minds of his professionals in no time at all. Not by the successor of the laid-off Dutchman Mark van Bommel being the omniscient healer of all ailments, but by referring to the painful experiences he had as a Bremen football teacher with the Wolfsburgers when he welcomed his new players. VfL captain Josuha Guilavogui said after the 2-0 goal from Lukas Nmecha (48th) and Maximilian Arnold (51st) that Kohfeldt said: “Hey guys, it was always so difficult to play against you. You have always had this presence, this broad chest. We should have that feeling again. ”No sooner said than done.
Sports director Marcel Schäfer calls on all players to push their limits.
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Image: AFP
In a 3-4-3 system, Kohfeldt immediately strengthened the defensive readiness of his team under van Bommel’s predecessor Oliver Glasner and their determination to move forward in the game. With the result that the cool Wolfsburgs allowed next to nothing and capitalized on their few opportunities. VfL sports director Marcel Schäfer liked this professionally serene-looking football.
“At VfL Wolfsburg, we define ourselves through work, we have lost that a bit for some reason. It is all the better that we were able to flip the lever again relatively quickly. ”And he added:“ We have to be ready to push the limits, otherwise it won’t be enough for us. ”
What van Bommel failed to achieve with his seemingly vague attempt to implement more possession football in Wolfsburg, Kohfeldt now wants to achieve by returning to the old values plus adding new stylistic elements. At its premiere, “the most important thing was to keep the intensity high so that at some point we could cope with the shot more”. The Lower Saxony succeeded thanks to a defensively focused, offensively but only occasionally convincing performance.
In terms of the most important parameters, however, the Wolfsburg team was ahead of the weakened Leverkusen team (without the injured Schick and the suspended Diaby). Her energy level was noticeably higher than that of fourth in the table. Also because, according to Kohfeldt, the Wolfsburg team “said that we would keep on the accelerator if we take the lead”.
The coach, who appreciates the sense of community that has returned to Wolfsburg, has enjoyed his return to the big football stage, especially in front of the spectators. “I have the feeling that I am fresh and that I can give all the energy I have.” This Kraftwerk, they hope in Wolfsburg, can possibly result in something good for VfL.
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