It was the fifth defeat for Wolfsburg in six league matches and in between there was also a painful cup elimination. Second divisionist Holstein Kiel was too strong in Wolfsburg in the DFB Pokal.
Trainer Paul Simonis does not know whether he can stay at VfL Wolfsburg: ‘Perhaps the heaviest defeat of his career’
Everything seemed to work out fine on Friday, as Simonis’ team was ahead of Werder Bremen for a long time. But things went completely wrong in the last part of the match and Bremen still won 2-1. Wolfsburg is twelfth after the defeat, while the clubs below them still have to take action this round.
What does Wolfsburg say about Simonis’ departure?
“The decision to dismiss Paul Simonis was not an easy one. Paul has worked with passion, expertise and dedication. We have a lot of respect for his views and the way he dealt with the team, which is why this step is painful,” said sports director Peter Christiansen. “Nevertheless, we must note that in football the results and points count. Developments in recent weeks have not gone as we would have liked.”
Simonis’ duties will be temporarily taken over by Daniel Bauer, the trainer of the under-19 team. Assistant coaches Peter van der Veen, Tristan Berghuis and Martin Darneviel are also leaving Wolfsburg.
Five month adventure
Simonis’ adventure in Germany was therefore limited to a good five months. The trainer was taken over from Go Ahead Eagles this summer, with whom he surprisingly won the KNVB Cup last season. It was a daring move by the Germans, because apart from that one successful year in Deventer, he had not yet gained any experience as a head coach.
Simonis is the second Dutch coach to be fired in the Bundesliga this season. Earlier, Erik ten Hag had to leave the field at Bayer Leverkusen.
| Position | Team | P | GS | W | V | G | DS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | +29 | |
| 2 | 22 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | +7 | |
| 3 | 21 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | +9 | |
| 4 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | +5 | |
| 5 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | +10 | |
| 6 | 19 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | +5 | |
| 7 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | -3 | |
| 8 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | +3 | |
| 9 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | +2 | |
| 10 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | -1 | |
| 11 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | -4 | |
| 12 | Borussia Monchengladbach | 9 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | -6 |
| 13 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | -7 | |
| 14 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 | -6 | |
| 15 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 | -10 | |
| 16 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 | -11 | |
| 17 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | -7 | |
| 18 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 2 | -15 |