After a messed-up season for VfL Wolfsburg and for him personally, Luca Waldschmidt wants to attack. The 26-year-old started training with great motivation.
Luca Waldschmidt is fit and wants to attack again at VfL Wolfsburg.
IMAGO/Christian Schroedter
VfL Wolfsburg had high hopes for him a year ago, and Luca Waldschmidt switched from Benfica to VfL for twelve million euros with big goals. “I always want to be on the pitch and collect a lot of goals and assists,” said the flexible offensive man. But things turned out differently: mainly due to injury, the 26-year-old never really got going, only played 17 competitive games (seven substitutions, eight substitutions) and only collected three points (one goal, two assists). Far too little for someone who has the goal of “getting back to the national team”.
But what is not, can still be. Those in charge at VfL have not yet given up hope that the seven-time national player has signed a reinforcement, they see Waldschmidt as practically a “newcomer” this season. Who has to and wants to prove himself. “I was happy to be back on the pitch,” he told “Wölfe TV” on Wednesday after the first training session. After all, the break was “a bit longer for him than for the other guys”. A foot injury had cost Waldschmidt the last seven games of the season, but before that he had hardly played a role under coach Florian Kohfeldt.
“I really want to step on the gas this season”
That should be different in the new season under Niko Kovac, but Waldschmidt is stepping on the gas. “I was able to make good use of the break to catch up and show up fit here,” he emphasizes. “I really feel like it and I really want to step on the gas this season.”
Fans can now see for themselves this Thursday. After the announcement from the previous day that VfL would complete its sessions behind closed doors, spectators are now allowed. As a reason for the confusion, the club states that due to construction work at the VfL Center, there can always be short-term changes in terms of the training grounds.
