Young boss Gentner extended
©IMAGO
After the emotional roller coaster ride at the end of the year, Daniel Bauer first had to collect himself. “It was difficult to find the right words in the dressing room after the game today. That’s still the case now,” said the new head coach of VfL Wolfsburg in the press conference after Lower Saxony’s turbulent 3:4 against SC Freiburg.
Almost an hour before the game, those responsible at VfL made public what everyone around the VW club already suspected: Bauer will be promoted from interim to head coach and should lead VfL back into better territory in the Bundesliga. “It’s total conviction. Daniel is the right man for VfL Wolfsburg,” said the new sports director Pirmin Schwegler, who has only recently been working at VfL.
VfL Wolfsburg: Management restructuring completed
The coaching question was the first big decision the Swiss had to make. The fact that it was per pawn was not a big surprise. “The seven or eight days were enough,” said Schwegler, who succeeded Sebastian Schindzielorz in Wolfsburg. Schindzielorz, like coach Paul Simonis, was fired after the disastrous start to the season; only sports director Peter Christiansen remained from the management trio.
Under Bauer, VfL appears much more stable and active again. The reward was seven points from the first four games under the direction of the previous U19 coach. However, the Wolfsburg team did not achieve their goal of going into the short winter break with three wins in a row and thus in the middle of the Bundesliga table. Because they made too many mistakes in the wild 3:4 against Freiburg.
“It’s a setback that hurts,” admitted Schwegler, “but the way and the way are the right ones.” Christiansen is also convinced of this. “Daniel has managed to form a strong unit and bring new life into the team,” said the Dane, who is likely to have consolidated his job through the two personnel decisions.
Bauer’s promotion in particular has been well received in Wolfsburg. The 43-year-old was celebrated with chants before and after the game and created a spirit of optimism at VfL with his self-confident and fresh manner. Bauer came to the Wolves in 2016 as a youth coach from Hannover 96, where he did successful work for years. At the end of last season he stepped in as interim coach after Ralph Hasenhüttl was fired and scored four points in two games.
“It’s something very special. We’ve made our home here as a family, I’ve been at VfL for ten years now,” said Bauer, who has signed a contract until June 30, 2027. “We want to take VfL together again into different realms. The three points today would have been very good. But we feel totally prepared for it,” said Bauer.
VfL Wolfsburg: Don’t be afraid of double burden
The double burden of the upcoming coaching course starting in January doesn’t scare the new Wolfsburg hopeful either. “The dual role will work. It will be a challenge and a challenge, but I have a lot of power,” said Bauer. “The DFB also has an interest in the coaches who are already head coaches remaining head coaches,” he said about the adapted coaching training.
He will also put this power into squad planning in the coming days. Because while the players have already gone on Christmas vacation, Bauer will work with those responsible to see how the squad that was incorrectly put together in the summer can be optimized. Above all, the Green-Whites are still looking for a center forward – despite Dzenan Pejcinovic’s hat-trick against Freiburg. “We know that with Dzenan we have a very exciting boy in the squad,” Bauer praised the U21 national striker. Nevertheless, a new nine will come.
VfL Wolfsburg: Academy director Gentner extended
Meanwhile, Michael Gentner, director of the VfL Academy, has extended his contract, which originally ran until summer 2026, until 2030. The 43-year-old will remain responsible for the sporting orientation and further development of the young Wolves in the long term, the club announced on Sunday.