Wolfsburg (dpa) – Volkswagen boss Herbert Diess has criticized the performance of Bundesliga soccer club VfL Wolfsburg in the current season.
“I’m not satisfied because we have a very expensive team. Our club is one of the best equipped in Germany. And I think the performance is too weak for that,” said the 63-year-old at a joint meeting Talk format “Dialog mit Diess” of the daily newspapers “Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung” and “Wolfsburger Nachrichten”.
VfL started this season as a Champions League participant and only secured relegation in the Bundesliga last Saturday on the third to last matchday. The Volkswagen Group is a 100 percent shareholder in VfL Wolfsburg-Fußball GmbH. A control and profit transfer agreement between VW and VfL stipulates that the club must transfer its unappropriated profits to the group, but vice versa its losses are also compensated. “I stand behind the football commitment. I think we should have a football team that plays in the Bundesliga – and plays successfully,” said Diess.
On the other hand, the VW boss praised the VfL women’s team, which is about to win the German championship (“A ray of hope”). He also complimented the Grizzlies’ ice hockey pros after they were eliminated in the DEL playoff semifinals. “I agree with the performance of the Grizzlies. They actually played well and fought well,” said Diess.