It’s no secret that the Volkswagen Group has recently been dissatisfied with the performance of Bundesliga soccer team VfL Wolfsburg. The Executive Committee of the Supervisory Board has now been expanded to include two new members.
Daniela Cavallo, Chairwoman of the VW Works Council, was promoted to the now five-strong Supervisory Board Presidium. The 47-year-old has been a member of the supervisory board of VfL Wolfsburg Fußball GmbH since October 2021. In addition to Cavallo, Murat Aksel is now one of them, who heads the purchasing department at Volkswagen as a member of the Board of Management. With effect from July 1, both will complement the previous trio with Chairman Frank Witter, VW Supervisory Board Chairman Hans Dieter Pötsch and long-standing Works Council boss Bernd Osterloh. The Volkswagen Group has been the 100 percent shareholder of VfL Wolfsburg Fußball GmbH since 2007.
Cavallo’s way of working is considered calm and matter-of-fact, she describes herself as persistent. She works closely with VW boss Herbert Diess and exchanges information regularly. One of the tasks of the Turkish-born Aksel at VW is to reduce material costs. Employees think highly of him, he is popular and close to the people.
Witter: “Important course set in some places”
“Volkswagen AG and VfL Wolfsburg belong together,” emphasized Witter in a club statement on Thursday.
“We are therefore very happy that our close relationships with the Group and its workforce are being further strengthened, also thanks to the commitment of Daniela Cavallo and Murat Aksel. We have set the course in a number of important areas at VfL and are now looking forward to the new season together “added the chairman of the board.
Hopes for important impulses from Cavallo and Aksel: Supervisory Board Chairman Witter.
However, the measures also show that the performance of the Bundesliga men is under special observation at the parent company. After all, the past season was anything but satisfactory. Under coach Florian Kohfeldt and his predecessor Mark van Bommel, the Lower Saxony were eliminated from the DFB Cup due to a mistake in the first round, failed in the group stage of the Champions League and did not get beyond a disappointing twelfth place in the Bundesliga.
VW boss Diess expects significantly better results
Not enough for the ambitious club and VW. Volkswagen boss Diess recently called for a significant increase in performance from the “wolves”. In view of the great financial support, he expects “that they will perform significantly better and achieve better results than last time,” said Diess according to the “Wolfsburger Nachrichten” at the VW works meeting. Diess had already criticized the players in May: “I’m not satisfied because we have a very expensive team. Our club is one of those that are best equipped in Germany. And I think the services are there for that weak.”
VW boss Diess has repeatedly criticized the VfL team and held them accountable.
150 million euros flow annually from VW to VfL
According to Diess, VW spends around 150 million euros a year on professional football at its headquarters. This includes all payments from personnel costs to sponsorship. In addition, a so-called control and profit transfer agreement between VW and VfL regulates that the club must transfer its balance sheet profits to the group, but vice versa its losses are compensated.
Kovac should bring back continuity and hunger for success
Sports director Jörg Schmadtke expects the new coach Nico Kovac to “give us back continuity and a thirst for success”. Even if Kovace has a good reputation, Schmadte made it clear: “In the end, we all know very well that it will be about results, nothing else.”
It didn’t work out last weekend: Wolfsburg took last place in a blitz tournament with Hannover 96 and VfL Osnabrück – and Kovac was very upset afterwards. “I’m not a friend of defeats, I don’t like that at all. That’s not our claim.” VfL lost 3-1 to Osnabrück in the “Volkswagen Cup” and played 1-1 to Hannover.
First competitive game on July 30th
The Lower Saxony are still at the beginning of their season preparation. The Werkself will play their first competitive game in the first round of the DFB Cup on July 30 (6 p.m.) at regional league club Carl Zeiss Jena. The opening opponent in the Bundesliga is on August 6 (3.30 p.m.) in the north duel Werder Bremen. Main sponsor VW will take a very close look.
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Sports current | 07.07.2022 | 2:17 p.m
