There was a relaxed atmosphere in the press conference room at the Volkswagen Arena on Tuesday 1 July ahead of the official introduction of the new head coach of the VfL men’s team.
The words “Hartelijk welkom, Paul Simonis” were visible on the LED screen as the new man took to the stage right on time at 11:00 CEST, to a backdrop of clicking camera lenses.
While the photographers took up positions to the side of the room, local, national and even international journalists occupied the seats in the centre, alongside Wolfsburg mayor Dennis Weilmann, the entire VfL management team and the Volkswagen sports communication department.
At the back of the room, representatives from Wölfe TV, Sport1, Sky Sports and sports news agency SID were lined up with video equipment to film Simonis’ first words on the first day in his new job: “Hallo alle (hello everyone),” he said in German.
Initial approach “a nice surprise”
The Dutch tactician revealed he had taken an intensive language course in the days leading up to this official unveiling. “It was very difficult,” he said of studying eight hours a day for five days straight. “I was dead!”
In light of that, Simonis spoke in English, although the journalists asked their questions in German.
He described the phone call from Peter Christiansen as a “nice surprise,” while the managing director for sport himself said of the decision to hire Simonis: “This club needs a specific type of coach. Paul is that type. We believe Paul is the best fit for us.”
“We want to be dominant”
The first day of July not only marked the beginning of the new 2025/26 season but also Simonis’ tenure in the dugout, even if the 40-year-old began preparing for his new role earlier than his official start date.
“I came to Wolfsburg for the first time two weeks ago in order to get a feel for the local surroundings,” he said. “We held in-depth discussions about the team and looked at how we can develop further.” Simonis has been back in Wolfsburg for two days now, with a view to gearing up for the new campaign.
“This club’s aim is always to qualify for Europe, that’s not going to change,” Christiansen said of VfL’s ambitions. That is in line with the playing style Simonis is eager to implement: “We want to be dominant, with a back four and controlled build-up play – but without being naive. We want to create chances by being in control.”
The new coach is well aware of the balancing act the job requires, with a view to developing young players but also achieving the aim of European qualification. “That’s obviously a big challenge that we’ll have to tackle step by step,” he said. “But we need to give our players a stage to prove themselves at Bundesliga level. We need individual sessions in order to continue developing our players.
“At the end of the day, everybody decides for themselves through their performances. Age doesn’t matter to me. In my book, if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.”
