“The workforce, the we, comes in the beginning,” had been the phrases former Wolves coach Daniel Bauer utilized in January to clarify why high scorer was lacking from the squad. Final weekend towards Bayern, he was unnoticed once more, and was as soon as extra absent from the beginning lineup. Each instances spotlight ’s largest drawback.
Amoura could ship objectives on the pitch, however in coaching he additionally retains exhibiting indicators of indiscipline. In keeping with ‘kicker’, Amoura had clashed with earlier than the match towards Bayern, who was additionally unnoticed of the squad. “In conditions like these, there aren’t any two opinions: self-discipline must be there, and in that second in coaching, it wasn’t,” present Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking advised ‘Sky’.
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After an analogous incident in January, it was the second such squad suspension of the season. In keeping with ‘kicker’, Amoura had additionally “gotten right into a severe altercation with full-back Joakim Maehle” towards the top of final season.
The striker, who has no less than scored eight objectives on this crisis-hit marketing campaign — wherein Wolfsburg slid right into a relegation battle regardless of spending 68 million euros on transfers (supply: transfermarkt.de) — is a continuing supply of unrest and might hardly be good for the ambiance within the squad.
📸 Stuart Franklin – 2026 Getty Photographs
Majer struggling on the pitch
The state of affairs with Lovro Majer is totally different: the versatile Croatian has solely fully fallen out of favor below Hecking. Underneath the 61-year-old, he has performed simply 106 minutes. Within the brutal relegation battle, the skilled coach is counting on different gamers. It’s truly loopy, contemplating Majer, with a reported switch price of 25 million euros, continues to be the third-most costly signing within the membership’s historical past.
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In reality, Majer has by no means actually lived as much as that price. In his first VfL season, he managed 5 objectives and 5 assists, which was pretty respectable, however the 12 months after that he was nearly solely absent resulting from muscle accidents. This season, he recorded 5 purpose contributions within the first half, however since matchday 17 he has been ready for one more.
Though Wolfsburg can nonetheless be immediately relegated on the ultimate matchday and should face backside aspect , who’re stage on factors, switch rumors emerged throughout the week. A departure is claimed to be a executed deal. Croatian newspaper ‘Jutarnji record’ named quite a few European hopefuls — , , , Ajax and — as potential new golf equipment, and likewise talked about a doable, comparatively low price of ten to 12 million euros.
The timing of this rumor, so shortly earlier than the decisive recreation, is after all disastrous for Wolfsburg. The golf equipment talked about as doable locations are additionally unlikely to have a lot curiosity of their curiosity changing into public, which shortly led to hypothesis that Majer’s brokers had leaked the names with a view to put him within the store window as a switch goal.
📸 Daniela Porcelli – 2026 Getty Photographs
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And that brings us to Wolfsburg’s largest drawback. The membership has far too many gamers within the mould of Amoura and Majer. Gamers who value so much in switch charges however solely see the membership as a springboard to someplace else. Gamers who too usually fail to ship on the pitch, but nonetheless instantly dream of their subsequent membership as a substitute of constructing one thing with their present one — or no less than serving to clear up the mess first. Gamers who don’t determine with their membership and subsequently don’t step up in occasions of disaster.
Expectations not met
That’s the reason, regardless of main funding, Wolfsburg have completed twelfth twice, eleventh as soon as, and eleventh once more over the previous 5 years. Now, at finest, the relegation playoff spot continues to be inside attain. Within the course of, the membership burned via younger coaches corresponding to Mark van Bommel, Florian Kohfeldt and Paul Simonis in a really brief house of time. Even skilled managers like Niko Kovač and Ralph Hasenhüttl ended up despairing over time.
Final weekend towards Bayern, Wolfsburg confirmed what ought to even have been doable with the standard within the squad. In keeping with anticipated objectives, they need to have received the sport 3.88 to 1.97. However the actual outcome was 0-1. And there have been far too few performances that gripping this season. Or reasonably, just one.
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At VfL, the workforce, the collective, merely doesn’t come in the beginning. At the least not for sufficient gamers. If the Wolves need to escape of this spiral, they should rely in future on professionals who don’t see Wolfsburg as only a transient stopover, however who need to construct one thing in Decrease Saxony and determine with the membership.
That, nonetheless, is barely the medium-term answer. Within the brief time period, Dieter Hecking has to verify he finds the suitable gamers within the present squad to in some way forestall relegation. In order that he doesn’t grow to be the following skilled coach to despair at this assortment of individualists.
This text was translated into English by Synthetic Intelligence.