Sporty descent
Wolfsburg fires Niko Kovac after Augsburg bankruptcy
After VfL Wolfsburg’s 3-1 defeat against FC Augsburg on Saturday, coach Niko Kovac lost his job
© Swen Pförtner / DPA
The sporting crisis at VfL Wolfsburg that lasted several months has consequences: the club is ending its collaboration with coach Niko Kovac.
Bundesliga soccer team VfL Wolfsburg has separated from its coach Niko Kovac. The club confirmed this on Sunday. “Bild”, “Kicker” and the “Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung” had previously reported on it.
VfL had lost 3-1 against FC Augsburg the day before and had therefore remained winless in the tenth league game of the new year. The ambitious Volkswagen club is only in 14th place in the Bundesliga table. The lead over the relegation place melted thanks to the victory FSV Mainz 05 against Bochum on six points.
Niko Kovac started in Wolfsburg with high expectations
Former Bayern coach Kovac moved to Wolfsburg in 2022 with high expectations. In his first season he missed out on a Europa League place with the club due to a home defeat on the last matchday against relegated Hertha BSC. In the second season there was no further sporting development. VfL has only won two of the last 20 league games.
Bo Svensson (most recently Mainz 05), Ralph Hasenhüttl (most recently FC Southampton) and Matthias Jaissle (Al-Ahli) have been discussed for weeks as possible successors by summer at the latest.