Yannick Gerhardt has extended his contract with VfL Wolfsburg. The 30-year-old talks about his future plans, his role as a veteran and the new coach Ralph Hasenhüttl.
Looking forward to the future of VfL: Yannick Gerhardt wants to get back on the road to success with Wolfsburg. IMAGO/Jan Huebner
Until when did he extend his contract with VfL Wolfsburg? Recently, official secrecy with the Lower Saxony. Until 2026 with an option for another year or even directly until 2027? Yannick Gerhardt can neither confirm nor deny this. But one thing is clear: the 30-year-old will stay at VfL beyond 2025 – and spoke about it on Wednesday.
Mr. Gerhardt, do you want to end your career in Wolfsburg?
I have now signed for the coming years, but there are many footballers who continue to play football at an advanced age. I’m thinking of Modric, Ronaldo, Dante or Pepe, who is still playing at 41, and not even the end of my career. I love my job, everyday life as a Bundesliga player. I want to play at the highest level for a few more years. This won’t be my last contract, maybe I’ll go abroad again at some point. But I’ll be here at VfL for the next few years.
For other players, VfL is a springboard on their career path; you have been there for almost eight years now. Why have you never moved away before?
For me, VfL is still one of the top addresses in Germany; there aren’t many players who play here for such a long period of time. That’s why it’s something very special for me and I appreciate the fact that the club continues to plan its future with me.
Were the negotiations quick?
We had good conversations, we talked at the end of last year. It wasn’t that easy in the difficult sporting situation, but as a player you understand that. Nevertheless, in this difficult phase it is also important to me to set an example.
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Ralph Hasenhüttl has now replaced Niko Kovac in the coaching bench. Was this something you were waiting for?
No. You shouldn’t make a contract dependent on the coach. There is no one who will always guarantee you playing time.
Max Kruse recently put you in a bad light regarding Kovac in his podcast…
I don’t want to comment on that. I am at peace with all parties that are important to me.
“I want to be a role model”
Now you are signing in a season in which you have only started twelve times so far. Does this show your connection to VfL even more?
This motivates me even more, I don’t want to give up and leave out of spite. I still see great opportunities to assert myself here. And it’s a special feeling knowing so many people in the club that younger players look up to you. I want to be a role model.
You recently turned 30. Do you like to be called a veteran?
No problem. But physically I don’t feel like I’m 30 yet, some teammates like Maxence Lacroix even think I’m in my mid-20s… (laughs).
You are seen as someone that coaches are more likely to put on the bench because you don’t cause stress. Will you change anything about this as you get older as a footballer?
I don’t think trying to create a bad mood when you’re not playing is going to be successful in the long term. Internally, I always have a good and honest exchange with all the trainers and address things directly. You don’t always have to shout loudly and get out of your skin, that’s just not my style. Despite this, I communicate my opinion openly. I can now imagine myself better in the role of trainer.
Do you have a coaching job in mind after your career?
I’m definitely already thinking about the career after the career. I’m still doing my master’s degree and am trying to understand more about how the business works in conversations with Marcel Schäfer and Sebastian Schindzielorz. The coaching job is certainly interesting, but there are no concrete plans yet.
“We have pressure, the table doesn’t change. We have to deliver straight away.”
Ralph Hasenhüttl is now the tenth coach you will experience in Wolfsburg. How has he approached it in the past few days?
He did a lot of group sessions to help us understand his style of football. It’s also about switching and internalizing the pressing. We try to absorb as much input as possible. But we know: we have pressure, the table won’t change. We have to deliver directly.
You have experienced ups and downs with VfL. What else would you like to achieve?
Of course I want to get back into the Champions League and play internationally, we have that quality every year. We have to work through why we rarely succeed. But now the full focus is on the current situation anyway.
You have already experienced two years of relegation. How do you classify this current situation in comparison to the times of crisis?
The situation is dangerous, but in the relegation years it was sometimes the case that we were so unsettled that we didn’t even know how to create scoring chances. Now we have mostly beaten ourselves in the last few games. I hope that the change of coach will give us new impetus to turn things around. Ideally on Saturday in Bremen.
2024-03-27 17:17:31
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