“We want to work through periods together”
Wolfsburg coach criticized after cup exit – sports boss reacts
October 29, 2025 – 8:21 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
For VfL Wolfsburg and coach Paul Simonis is currently doing poorly. The team was eliminated from the cup on Tuesday evening. The club is sticking with the coach for the time being.
Despite the 0-1 defeat against the second division team, the Dutchman will also sit on the bench in the upcoming Bundesliga game against Hoffenheim on Sunday (from 5:30 p.m. in the t-online live ticker). Sports director Peter Christiansen confirmed this after the game.
Christiansen emphasized: “Yes, he is our coach. We want to work through this period together with Paul.” Wolfsburg is in 12th place in the Bundesliga. After four defeats in a row, the team recently won against HSV. The cup was over after the second round.
But this obviously has deeper reasons. In a kind of incendiary speech after the Kiel game, goalkeeper Marius Müller denounced serious attitude problems within the team. Captain Maximilian Arnold had already indicated this and a lack of cohesion in the past few weeks.
Müller said on Tuesday evening: “If you try to throw everything in too late and if you try to loosen up a bit with 70, 75 percent beforehand, then it will be difficult. Then you won’t win any games in the 2nd league, not in the 3rd league and not in the regional league either.”
He then explained: “What is quality? A very big component is mentality and attitude. Do I want to win games or do I let everything go that way? For us it’s too much going that way at the moment, that has to be said very clearly.” A journalist’s inquiry then revealed problems.
Is there still harmony within the team? The goalkeeper simply stated: “Hopefully that should be the case.” Was he still sure about that? “I won’t say anything about that.” When asked about his own influence, Müller, who is only the representative of the actual number one Kamil Grabara at VfL, said: “What should I do? Should I hit the players in the face? Then I can go over to the factory and pick up my contract. You can’t do more than talk about it and kick the boys’ asses during the week.”