With a typically hectic deadline day on Tuesday, months of squad planning came to an end for the Wolves. The current squad should have the strength in depth to best overcome the forthcoming challenges in the Bundesliga and Champions League. Marcel Schäfer certainly sees it that way, as he reveals in this interview.
Marcel Schäfer, deadline day brought an end to an intense few weeks for you. How busy is it for you as sporting director on a day like that, at the end of a long transfer window?
Marcel Schäfer: “You certainly have to say it’s been an intense summer, but it’s nice that we now have a squad that we fully believe in. We have every confidence that we can achieve our goals with this team.”
Are you able to now have a few days off from the hustle and bustle?
Marcel: “I will take a breather over this weekend at least.”
How happy are you with VfL’s ins and outs in this transfer window? Do you feel well equipped for the strain of playing in two competitions?
Marcel: “We’ve strengthened our squad considerably. We’ve added players who are highly talented and have a lot of potential. On top of that, they’re players who identify with our path and our club 100 per cent. That’s the most important thing.”
Has the serious injury to Xaver Schlager thrown up any short-term questions in terms of squad planning?
Marcel: “No, it hasn’t. Because, like I said, we fully believe in our lads and have every confidence that they can absorb and compensate injuries within the team. The injury is a bitter blow for Xaver but he’ll come back even stronger.”
New shirt numbers
Luca Waldschmidt has not been handed the number 28 shirt as originally intended, but instead the number 7 vacated by Josip Brekalo following his loan move to Torino FC. Centre-back Micky van de Ven will wear number 5, while winger Dodi Lukebakio has been allocated 28.
