Wolfsburg: No coach, a disempowered boss, many questions

Florian Kohfeldt planned the new season until late Saturday afternoon. After the 2-2 final against Master Bayern, the coach swore his team in the cabin for the coming season, called out the attack on the international ranks - to be released a few hours later. Since then, the question marks around VfL have been piling up a little more.

• Kovac is a candidate for the Kohfeldt successor
• The ball ownership plan is only a marginal aspect
• What will become of Pongracic and Brekalo?

The leadership: Boss Jörg Schmadtke wanted to continue with coach Kohfeldt and also publicly announced this, the last time on the match day against Bavaria, on whose the evening before the separation had been sealed. The Wolfsburg Supervisory Board had switched on, but did not follow Schmadtkes "Continue", but the view of sports director Marcel Schäfer, who saw the risk that Kohfeldt would be too stressful in the new season.

Schäfer prevailed what is equivalent to a disempowerment of Schmadtkes. The manager, who is still under contract by the end of January 2023, drew the shorter in the explosive and most important question of personnel. Does he still stay in Wolfsburg until the end of the contract? A constellation that undoubtedly harbors dangers. VfL urgently needs a spirit of optimism that the grumpy boss has not yet tried to radiate. On top of that, it is rumored in the office, distrust breaks on all levels.

Kovac is a candidate for the Kohfeldt successor

Last gave command in Monaco and is now a candidate at VfL: Niko Kovac. imago images

The trainer: Many names are traded, it is clear: Desired candidate Matthias Jaissle will not. The 34-year-old prefers another year in Salzburg. Eigenner Volkswagen is said to have a large solution, in this context, the name Niko Kovac (most recently Monaco, Bavaria and Frankfurt) falls. Ex-professional Vincent Kompany is associated with VfL from Belgium, the Belgian is active at its first coaching station at the RSC Anderlecht, but the parallels to the "experiment" with the even inexperienced Mark van Bommel also appear unlikely.

Successful coaches of the Bundesliga competition such as Thomas Reis (Bochum) or Bo Svensson (Mainz) would have to be bought from their contracts, Adi Hütter came onto the market in Mönchengladbach. And then there is the name of the successful ex-VFL coach Bruno Labbadia, which of course would only become a serious topic, Schmadtke, with whom he did not have the best relationship, should go prematurely. There could also be changes in VfL in the staff. The team's desolate fitness state in particular is questioned.

The ball ownership plan is only a marginal aspect

The team: VfL wants to take a step back in the new season and return to the virtues that the team still awarded under ex-coach Oliver Glasner: a high intensity and aggressiveness, switch quickly. With Jakub Kaminski (Lech Poznan) and Patrick Wimmer (Arminia Bielefeld), two suitable players have already been hired. The extreme possession plan, as Mark Van Bommel brought with him last summer, is only a marginal aspect.

In addition, the leadership of the team that was extremely committed this year must change. Trainer Kohfeldt increasingly used the word "consequence" until his release, which his successor must now show. Regardless of the name. As a result, Max Kruse, who holds a special role under Kohfeldt, should get a difficult stand. Quite a few calculate at the latest in winter and at the beginning of the new MLS season in the USA with the departure of the offensive player, who came from Union Berlin in January for five million euros.

What will become of Pongracic and Brekalo?

Further conflicts threaten: Marin Pongracic (most recently awarded to Dortmund) returns, but despite the contract has no future by 2024 and is fighting with VfL in court (Chamber appointment on June 9, 1 p.m.). Josip Brekalo (contract until 2023) will soon be formally again VfL player after his loan to FC Turin, but actually no longer feels like Wolfsburg - bad signs. Also under contract with VfL: Ex-captain Josuha Guilavogui, who has relegated with Girondin's Bordeaux in France.