First Team

“It’s still a bit surreal”

Julian Klamt on his emotional Bundesliga bow, his love for VfL and the season finale at Gladbach.

With well over 300 outings for VfL’s old second string, record U23 appearance-holder Julian Klamt has long been assured a place in VfL Wolfsburg’s history books. He added another memorable chapter when he oversaw his first top-flight game as Daniel Bauer’s assistant against TSG Hoffenheim last weekend, making him the first Wolfsburg native to coach the Wolves in the Bundesliga. In this interview, the 35-year-old reflects on an emotional few days, his first game on the big stage and looks ahead to the upcoming trip to Borussia Mönchengladbach on the final day of the season.

Julian, after Ralph Hasenhüttl’s departure you took over VfL’s first team on an interim basis along with Daniel Bauer and Tobias Holm. How hectic and crazy have the last few days been?

Julian Klamt: “It’s been pretty crazy, to be honest. It all started on Sunday evening at around 9:30pm, when Daniel called me and asked me if I’d be up for it – if we could take charge together. From that moment on, it’s been one thing after another. Our first appointment here at the VfL-Center was scheduled for 8:30am on Monday. There wasn’t much time to think about it, everything went from zero to 100. In hindsight, that was probably a good thing (laughs).”

Would you say it’s a dream come true for you?

Julian: “Definitely. I think that goes for all of us – for Daniel, Holmi and myself. It’s a special situation. I’ve been at VfL since the U13s and undergone my entire development here. Now I’m suddenly an assistant coach at the Volkswagen Arena and at the training ground where I used to train myself. I’m even the first person born in Wolfsburg to join VfL’s coaching team in the Bundesliga. That makes it even more emotional for me.”

You’re a proper VfL veteran. What do the city of Wolfsburg and the club mean to you on a personal level?

Julian: “Wolfsburg is my home, it’s that simple. I was born here, grew up here and have never left the city. VfL has played a key role in that. I grew up with the club. Even before I played in the youth ranks, my dad took me to Elsterweg. Along with my family, VfL is the biggest and most important part of my life.”

What has changed since you took joint charge of the Wolves?

Julian: “I’m still the same person, but a lot of things are different at first-team level, obviously. The day starts earlier and lasts longer, just because the whole environment is bigger. You go into much more detail when it comes to planning training sessions and preparing for matches. I’m using the time to soak up as much as possible. That includes the set-play meetings with [set-piece coach] Pascal Formann. I’m sure I can incorporate some of that at U19 level. In the end, though, it’s still the same game – just at Bundesliga level.”

Your coaching debut ended in a draw with TSG Hoffenheim, even though you took the lead twice. Does that tarnish the memory of that special evening somewhat?

Julian: “We were obviously hoping for more. Particularly after taking the lead late on, you want to get the result over the line. That tarnishes the moment a little, but I knew exactly where my family was sitting, where my lads were standing with their season tickets. Going out onto the pitch again after the game with my own kids, doing a lap of honour and looking into all the proud faces was very special. It’s still a bit surreal. A win would have been the icing on the cake, but I’ll always remember it regardless.”

You play your final game of the season at Borussia Mönchengladbach at 15:30 CEST on Saturday. How important is the season finale, both in general and in the current circumstances?

Julian: “The final game of the season is always special. You want to go into the summer break with a positive feeling. Particularly in our current situation, it’s even more important to get the three points at Gladbach. We’ve been keeping a close eye in training to see who’s ready to go all out for our final points of the campaign.”