Despite several promising performances, VfL Wolfsburg have registered only four points from their opening five Bundesliga games in a tricky start to the campaign for Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side. The Wolves were minutes away from holding Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 4, before conceding a stoppage-time goal in a 2-2 draw with VfB Stuttgart last time out.
Ahead of Saturday’s important trip to VfL Bochum (15:30 CEST), sporting director Sebastian Schindzielorz shares his thoughts on VfL’s start, the quality in the squad, head coach Hasenhüttl and returning to his hometown club.
Sebastian Schindzielorz, on Saturday the Wolves take on your hometown club, whom you left for Wolfsburg in 2022. Do VfL Bochum still hold a special place in your heart?
Sebastian Schindzielorz: “I’m from Bochum – it’s my home city. I spent 15 years there as a player and ten years overall on the board. I think everyone can imagine that this is a special occasion for me. That aside, I obviously follow VfL Bochum as a Bundesliga club. It’s part of the job to keep yourself up to date with what your rivals are doing. Because of my past, I’m obviously still in touch with people who certainly have detailed knowledge of goings-on at the club.”
As was expected, having been handed a tough set of opening fixtures, the Wolves have had a difficult start to the season. What do you make of the club’s start – both in terms of the points tally and performances?
Schindzielorz: “We definitely have to differentiate between the two to a certain degree and look at the situation as a whole. Looking at our points tally, we’re clearly not satisfied with our results. However, despite some difficult opening fixtures, we’ve definitely shown we’re more than capable of competing, we’ve caused the league’s top sides some big problems and we weren’t far off getting positive results from those games – or, as was the case against Stuttgart, picking up more than just a point. That leaves us feeling positive. I remain convinced that we’re capable of big things in this division, and I obviously hope we can show that against Bochum.”
How important is it to remain calm on the back of such a difficult start, particularly when you haven’t got the points that automatically boost a team’s confidence?
Schindzielorz: “One thing’s clear – at the end of the day, it comes down to points and [a team’s position in] the table. We’re not happy with our current tally – we should have had one or two more points on the board. On the other hand, the season’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
Head coach Ralph Hasenhüttl, who arrived at VfL in March, is taking charge of his first full season at the club. Has he managed to put his stamp on the team already?
Schindzielorz: “Ralph arrived in a difficult period for us, in sporting terms. He managed to stabilise the situation, which was our top priority. His stamp on the team is becoming more and more recognisable. We’ve adopted a very intense, direct style of play. I’m very confident we’re on the right track. I hope that’ll be reflected in our points haul in the near future.”
What have you made of the club’s summer arrivals?
Schindzielorz: “We’re very pleased with all our transfers. We believe in the lads’ quality and I’m confident we’ll soon get to see our new signings at their full potential.”
In the summer, you said it was impossible to be satisfied with last season’s performances and that the club generally harbours ambitions of qualifying for Europe. What’s the key to securing a place in European competition?
Schindzielorz: “Continuity in our performances is an important point here. Ideally, that means having key players available at all times and always being able to field your best XI. You obviously need a bit of luck in certain games, but I repeat: I believe in the quality of our squad, we’re an ambitious club, we’re backed by an ambitious group and we’re also ambitious as individuals. As such, our aim must be to do a lot better than last season.”
