Coach first, manager later

No coach and no manager, that is the unique situation at VfL Wolfsburg at the moment. That could change very quickly because the search for someone to take over the post vacated by the sacking of head coach Holger Fach is well underway. A new manager or sport director will more than likely happen in spring. Management member Klaus Fuchs will temporarily take over the duties of Thomas Strunz, who agreed to leave the Wolves by mutual consent yesterday. Fuchs did the same thing as Peter Pander left the club so he is no stranger to the situation.

Fuchs will be assisted by his management colleagues Bernd Sudholt and Wolfgang Hotze:  "Filling the coaching post has priority", says Fuchs, "Because the team reports back for training in two weeks time."

The name game

Fuchs refused to speculate on a possible successor to Fach. Names being banded about in press circles at the moment include Ralf Rangnick who left Schalke last weekend, Dieter Hecking (currently top of the second division with Aachen), and Ewald Lienen, whose last job was at Hanover. Klaus Augenthaler and Matthias Sammer are also on the market, but neither is expected to play a role in Wolfsburg. Former Leverkusen and HSV coach Klaius Toppmöller is the red hot favourite to take charge at Cologne.

New coach this week?

VfL Wolfsburg is hoping to present their new coach to the press sometime this week, whether or not that will be possible is not yet known. What will certainly take longer will bet he search for a new manager, who will also become a sport director, answering to Fuchs and his colleagues. Fuchs confirmed that the rumour started by the DSF TV channel that Lothar Matthäus and Stefan Reuter were in line for the vacancies at Wolfsburg has no substance.