VfL Coach Bauer Facing the AxeStruggling Club Implodes as “Not Bundesliga-Worthy”
Relegation from the Bundesliga is looking increasingly likely for VfL Wolfsburg. Following a heavy defeat against VfB Stuttgart, alarm bells are ringing. Head coach Daniel Bauer is reportedly on the brink, and didn’t hold back with blunt assessments of the club’s situation.
After the latest setback – a 4-0 loss (3-0 at halftime) at VfB Stuttgart on Sunday – questions surrounding Bauer’s future intensified. Several candid statements following the match also revealed significant internal issues within the club. “The fact is that we require to change many structures, that the atmosphere, the culture within the club is currently not Bundesliga-worthy. That we need to get a different mindset into the entire structure,” a visibly frustrated Bauer told DAZN.
Veteran player Yannick Gerhardt, a VfL player for the past decade, had already sounded the alarm, unusually openly stating, “the club is not healthy. It’s very complex.” Bauer described a “very, very difficult path,” adding, “everything is reflected on the pitch.” Even Sporting Director Peter Christiansen acknowledged problems within the club last week, stating, “You can’t say that things are down to Daniel Bauer. It’s the whole club.”
Whether Bauer, who replaced Paul Simonis in November, will continue in his role after 14 games with 8 losses, is expected to be decided on Monday. According to “Kicker” reports, former coach Dieter Hecking is already being considered as a potential replacement. The report indicates there are “serious considerations” to change coaches for a second time this season. Hecking, 61, previously managed Wolfsburg from 2013 to 2016, winning the DFB-Pokal and Supercup during his tenure.
Worst Season in Club History
The pressure is mounting on VfL during what is shaping up to be the worst season in the club’s history. A win in Saturday’s northern derby against newly promoted Hamburger SV (3:30 PM CET/Sky and live ticker on n-tv.de) is now essential.
Bauer stated he is “totally ready to give my last shirt for this. But I don’t decide that ” adding that an ultimatum from club officials had “not been issued.” He emphasized that it’s now significant to “properly analyze the game and draw the right conclusions.”
Gerhardt was equally direct: “It looks very bad. The table doesn’t lie. The trend is overwhelming. This discrepancy between ambition and reality is far too great,” he said, calling for the team to “stop talking about potential and start showing it from players who can get us over the line. We have the ambition to be Bundesliga players, and we need to prove it.”
