Wolfsburg sports director
After the seventh away defeat in a row and only two wins from the last nine competitive games, coach Niko Kovac is still firmly in the saddle at VfL Wolfsburg. “There is no coaching discussion,” explained sports director Marcel Schäfer in an interview with “AZ/WAZ“. “Niko is calm and objective in his analysis. There are a few issues that we need to address and improve as quickly as possible. But we will address these points together.”
After 13 match days, the “Wolves” are in eleventh place with the fifth most valuable squad in the Bundesliga – 255 million euros. Just like it was at this point in the season last year. In 2022/23, VfL only had one more point with 17 points. At the end of the season the club reached eighth place. Just like this year, the DFB Cup ended in the round of 16, against Union Berlin.
Despite the disappointment with the cup win in Mönchengladbach, Schäfer also wants to have seen progress. “You could see that the team is alive, that they want to and that they are trying to implement different things. Not everything worked out, but we still saw a lot of positive things. Simple and honest football – that’s important now. Then you regain stability,” said the ex-professional, who also made it clear: “I’m not approaching this challenge any differently than I did during my other times at VfL. No matter what role, I always took responsibility. And that’s what I’m doing now.”
Since promotion to the Bundesliga: All Wolfsburg coaches with a record
Niko Kovac – 53 competitive games – 1.45 points per game
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In office since July 1st, 2022 (as of December 6th, 2024)
Florian Kohfeldt – 28 competitive games – 1.14 points per game
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Term of office: October 26, 2021 to May 15, 2022
Mark van Bommel – 13 competitive games – 1.15 points per game
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Term of office: July 1, 2021 to October 24, 2021
Oliver Glasner – 87 competitive games – 1.67 points per game
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Term of office: July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021
Bruno Labbadia – 50 competitive games – 1.52 points per game
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Term of office: February 20, 2018 to June 30, 2019
Martin Schmidt – 22 competitive games – 1.18 points per game
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Term of office: September 18, 2017 to February 19, 2018
Andries Jonker – 19 competitive games – 1.47 points per game
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Term of office: February 27, 2017 to September 18, 2017
Valérien Ismaël – 17 competitive games – 1.12 points per game
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Term of office: October 17, 2016 to November 5, 2016
Dieter Hecking – 165 competitive games – 1.75 points per game
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Term of office: January 1, 2013 to October 17, 2016
Lorenz-Günther Köstner – 11 competitive games – 1.82 points per game
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Interim coach from October 25, 2012 to December 31, 2012 (previously in 2010 with 21 games, 1.62 points on average)
Felix Magath – 52 competitive games – 1.23 points per game
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Second term: March 18, 2011 to October 25, 2012
Pierre Litbarski – 5 competitive games – 0.60 points per game
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Interim coach from February 7, 2011 to March 18, 2011
Steve McClaren – 24 competitive games – 1.21 points per game
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Term of office: July 1, 2010 to February 7, 2011
Armin Veh – 27 competitive games – 1.26 points per game
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Term of office: July 1, 2009 to January 25, 2010
Felix Magath – 85 competitive games – 1.86 points per game
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First of two terms from June 15, 2007 to June 30, 2009
Klaus Augenthaler – 56 competitive games – 1.16 points per game
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Term of office: December 29, 2005 to May 19, 2007
Holger Fach – 25 competitive games – 1.28 points per game
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Term of office: July 1, 2005 to December 19, 2005
Eric Gerets – 44 competitive games – 1.34 points per game
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Term of office: April 4, 2004 to May 28, 2005
Jürgen Röber – 48 competitive games – 1.42 points per game
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Term of office: March 4, 2003 to April 4, 2004
Wolfgang Wolf – 195 competitive games – 1.45 points per game
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Term of office: March 23, 1998 to March 4, 2003 (took over from promotion coach Willi Reimann on matchday 28 of Wolfsburg’s first Bundesliga season)
Coach Kovac, who has been criticized by some Wolfsburg fans, has been in office since July 2022. In 53 competitive games he has an average points average of 1.45, which is higher than that of his predecessors Florian Kohfeldt (1.14) and Mark van Bommel (1.15). Between 2019 and 2021, Oliver Glasner performed better than Kovac at VfL with 1.67 PPS, just like Bruno Labbadia, who was on the sidelines in front of Glasner (1.52).
Most recently, Kovac took responsibility for his team’s downward trend. “Of course I put the shoe on, I don’t run away from it,” said the 52-year-old on Monday (quoted via “Kicker”). “I’m just as much a part of the team, I set them up and give the instructions. We win and lose games together. We have made our contribution, both positive and negative.”
With Grabara, Majer & Co.: The most expensive additions to VfL Wolfsburg
Ridle Baku | 20/21 from Mainz 05 | Transfer fee: €10 million
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Gallery status: September 6, 2023
Josip Brekalo | 16/17 by Dinamo Zagreb | Transfer fee: €10 million
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Daniel Ginczek | 18/19 from VfB Stuttgart | Transfer fee: €10 million
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Jakub Kaminski | 22/23 from Lech Poznan | Transfer fee: €10 million
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Wout Weghorst | 18/19 from AZ Alkmaar | Transfer fee: €10.5 million
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Obafemi Martins | 09/10 from Newcastle | Transfer fee: €10.5 million
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Landry Dimata | 17/18 by KV Oostende | Transfer fee: €11.5 million
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Jeffrey Bruma | 16/17 by PSV | Transfer fee: €11.5 million
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Jonas Wind | 21/22 from Copenhagen | Transfer fee: €12 million
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Max Kruse | 15/16 from Gladbach | Transfer fee: €12 million
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Smellingly Bazoer | 16/17 by Ajax | Transfer fee: €12 million
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Xavier Schlager | 19/20 by Red Bull Salzburg | Transfer fee: €12 million
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Luca Waldschmidt | 21/22 by Benfica | Transfer fee: €12 million
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Yunus Malli | 16/17 from Mainz 05 | Transfer fee: €12.5 million
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Simon Kjaer | 10/11 from US Palermo | Transfer fee: €12.5 million
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Joakim Maehle | 23/24 by Atalanta | Transfer fee: €13 million
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Yannick Gerhardt | 16/17 from 1. FC Köln | Transfer fee: €13 million
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Sebastiaan Bornauw | 21/22 from 1. FC Köln | Transfer fee: €13.5 million
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Kamil Grabara | 24/25 from Copenhagen | Transfer fee: €13.5 million
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Ignacio Camacho | 17/18 from FC Málaga | Transfer fee: €14 million
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Andrea Barzagli | 08/09 from US Palermo | Transfer fee: €14 million
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Diego | 10/11 by Juventus | Transfer fee: €15.5 million
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Luiz Gustavo | 13/14 from FC Bayern | Transfer fee: €16 million
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John Anthony Brooks | 17/18 by Hertha BSC | Transfer fee: €17 million
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Kevin De Bruyne | 13/14 from Chelsea FC | Transfer fee: €22 million
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Lovro Majer | 23/24 from Stade Rennes | Transfer fee: €25 million
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Andre Schürrle | 14/15 from Chelsea FC | Transfer fee: €32 million
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Julian Draxler | 15/16 by Schalke 04 | Transfer fee: €43 million
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