Former Bundesliga player Olaf Janßen will join the VfL Wolfsburg coaching team for the coming 2018/19 season. The 51-year-old, who scored 17 goals in 241 Bundesliga appearances for 1. FC Köln and Eintracht Frankfurt, is to join Eddy Sözer as assistant to head coach Bruno Labbadia after signing on with VfL until 2019. The former defender makes the move from Regionaliga West side FC Viktoria Köln, where he had been in charge since January 2018.
"A good addition"
"In Olaf Janßen we've found a good addition to our coaching team," said VfL general manager Jörg Schmadtke. "He brings a great deal of experience and is a real team player too. We would like to express our gratitude to those responsible at FC Viktoria Köln, who granted his wish and allowed him to take on the job in Wolfsburg, even though he was under contract in Cologne.” Labbadia added: "I'm very much looking forward to working with Olaf, who has a broad knowledge of the game and will strengthen us with his personality." Janßen himself is also eager to get started with his new task: "Working in the Bundesliga is a huge challenge, and one I'm happy to take on. VfL Wolfsburg provide ideal conditions in which to work successfully. Having said that, I leave Cologne with a heavy heart, as I really enjoyed working there. I’ll be keeping all my fingers crossed for Viktoria that they can win promotion in the coming season."
Wide-ranging experience
As a player, the Krefeld native represented Germany in various age categories at youth level before winning a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. After hanging up his boots, Janßen gained experience as head coach at second division clubs Dynamo Dresden and FC St. Pauli, while he also worked as an assistant at TSV 1860 München, VfB Stuttgart and with Azerbaijan’s nation team under Berti Vogts.
