Anyone who thought that VfL Wolfsburg would calm down after staying up in the league was wrong. After the dismissal of coach Florian Kohfeldt, there is a lot going on in Lower Saxony.
A picture from the last match day: VfL manager Jörg Schmadtke (left) and former coach Florian Kohfeldt.
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Florian Kohfeldt planned the new season until late Saturday afternoon. After beating champions Bayern 2-2, the coach swore his team into the coming season in the dressing room and called for an attack on the international ranks – only to be released a few hours later. Since then, the question marks surrounding VfL have piled up even more.
The leadership: Boss Jörg Schmadtke wanted to continue with coach Kohfeldt and did so publicly, most recently on the day of the match against Bayern, the evening before which the separation was sealed. The Wolfsburg supervisory board got involved, but did not follow Schmadtke’s “keep it up” plan, but rather the opinion of sports director Marcel Schäfer, who saw the risk that Kohfeldt would start the new season too burdened.
Schäfer prevailed, which is tantamount to disempowering Schmadtke. The manager, who is still under contract until the end of January 2023, lost out on the explosive and most important personnel issue. Will he still stay in Wolfsburg until the end of his contract? A constellation that undoubtedly harbors dangers. VfL urgently needs a spirit of optimism, which the grumpy boss has not tried to convey so far. On top of that, there is rumbling in the office, distrust is spreading at all levels.
Kovac is a candidate to succeed Kohfeldt
Was last in command in Monaco and is now a candidate at VfL: Niko Kovac.
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The trainer: Many names are traded, one thing is clear: the preferred candidate Matthias Jaissle will not. The 34-year-old prefers another year in Salzburg. Owner Volkswagen is said to have a big solution in mind, in this context the name Niko Kovac (most recently Monaco, before that Bavaria and Frankfurt) is mentioned. From Belgium, ex-professional Vincent Kompany is associated with VfL, the Belgian is in his first coaching position at RSC Anderlecht, but the parallels to the “experiment” with Mark van Bommel, who is also still rather inexperienced as a coach, make this solution seem unlikely .
Successful coaches in the Bundesliga competition such as Thomas Reis (Bochum) or Bo Svensson (Mainz) would have to be bought out of their contracts, Adi Hütter came onto the market after his departure in Mönchengladbach. And then there is the name of the successful ex-VfL trainer Bruno Labbadia, who would of course only become a serious issue if Schmadtke, with whom he did not have the best relationship, left prematurely. There could also be changes in the staff at VfL. Above all, the desolate state of fitness of the team is questioned.
The ball possession plan is only a marginal aspect
The team: VfL wants to take a step back in the new season and return to the virtues that characterized the team under former coach Oliver Glasner: high intensity and aggressiveness, quick transitions. With Jakub Kaminski (Lech Posen) and Patrick Wimmer (Arminia Bielefeld), two suitable players have already been signed. The extreme ball possession plan that Mark van Bommel brought with him last summer is only a marginal aspect.
In addition, the management of the team, which has been extremely lethargic this year, has to change. Coach Kohfeldt used the word “consistency” more and more until his dismissal, which his successor now has to show. Regardless of names. This should make it difficult for Max Kruse, who played a special role under Kohfeldt. Not a few expect the departure of the offensive player, who came from Union Berlin in January for five million euros, at the latest in winter and at the beginning of the new MLS season in the USA.
What about Pongracic and Brekalo?
Further conflicts loom: Marin Pongracic (last loaned to Dortmund) returns, but despite his contract has no future until 2024 and is arguing with VfL in court (chamber meeting on June 9, 1 p.m.) about bonuses. Josip Brekalo (contract until 2023) will soon be a VfL player again after his loan to FC Turin, but he really doesn’t feel like going to Wolfsburg anymore – bad signs. Also back under contract with VfL: ex-captain Josuha Guilavogui, who was relegated to France with Girondins Bordeaux.
