Bundesliga soccer club VfL Wolfsburg has arranged the successor for the outgoing sports director Jörg Schmadtke. Marcel Schäfer will take over the post on February 1, 2023. His job as sports director will then be taken over by Sebastian Schindzielorz.
Schäfer “embodied the virtues of VfL even as a player on the pitch, with which he has also successfully mastered his duties as sports director since 2018. He not only has proven very high sporting expertise, but also identifies one hundred percent with the association and the region”, said the chairman of the supervisory board, Frank Witter, in explaining the decision.
The contract of the former left-back, who played a total of 256 Bundesliga games for VfL and won the championship and cup with the club, runs for three years. In his new position, Schäfer will also be responsible for the Wolfsburg women’s soccer team.
Schäfer: “Great challenge”
“Following in Jörg Schmadtke’s footsteps will be a great challenge,” explained the 38-year-old: “I’ve been working closely with Jörg for over four years and I’m very grateful that he gave me the opportunity to learn to work independently and to develop myself further every day.”
Schäfer, who switched to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in March 2017 after his active career, returned to VfL a year and a half later as sports director.
Schindzielorz last manager in Bochum
Schindzielorz also laced up his shoes for the “Wolves” as a professional soccer player (2008 – 2013). Together with Schäfer, he was part of the 2009 championship team and played a total of 115 games for the second team (101 appearances) and the professionals (14 appearances) in the green and white jersey.
“I had a great time in Wolfsburg, both sportingly and privately, which I look back on fondly. I’m looking forward to returning and working closely with a former companion,” said the 43-year-old, who was sporting director until September 1st worked for VfL Bochum.
Schmadtke ends his career
Schmadtke, 58, will end a more than 20-year career as a football manager when his contract expires on January 31. The former Bundesliga goalkeeper came to Wolfsburg in 2018 after stints at Alemannia Aachen, Hannover 96 and 1. FC Köln.
This topic in the program:
Sports current | 09/26/2022 | 12:17 p.m
