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“The city stands behind VfL”

Pirmin Schwegler’s first day as the club’s new sporting director.

“It’s nice that an eagle has now become a wolf.” Those were the words with which Dr Sebastian Rudolph, chairman of the supervisory board, welcomed the club’s new sporting director, Pirmin Schwegler, at Thursday afternoon’s introductory press conference. Earlier that morning, the newest member of the wolf pack had watched the first-team’s training session to get an initial impression of his new surroundings.

Schwegler, who was team-mates with former VfL goalkeeper and current supervisory board member Diego Benaglio in the Switzerland national team during his playing days, said his decision to move was Wolfsburg was not taken “against Eintracht” but rather “for the Wolves”.

He opted to take the step on the basis of his gut instinct and many in-depth conversations he had: “The idea of how people want to work here and how to address the issues caught my attention from the very first moment.”

Schwegler’s first meeting with Peter Christiansen was during the team’s last away game in Frankfurt. “It’s not often that you meet people you can dive straight into things with,” said the Wolves’ new sporting director.

“I was hooked straightaway.”

Schwegler was not the only candidate interviewed but he proved to be the best. “We intensified and deepened the talks. There was a chemistry there and, above all, a shared vision and idea of how we want to tackle things. That’s why we talked a lot about football. I asked a lot of questions. I hope I didn’t annoy you, Peter?” Schwegler asked the managing director for sport with a grin, before adding: “I was hooked straightaway.”

Working-class city with vision

“I get the sense that the city stands behind VfL, and that, with Volkswagen, it has a major corporation that brings strength and stability,” continued Schwegler. “We want to use that positively rather than hide from it. We can be proud of it. I grew up in a very small place in Switzerland, so I’ll feel at home here. This is a working-class city - I’ll fit in quite well.”

Indeed, the 38-year-old believes a keen work ethic is a key factor in a team’s success: “You achieve good results with hard work. That’s a principle I fundamentally believe in, and it won’t be any different here. We have a vision and a long-term plan which we’re working on. First and foremost, it’s all about developing. Whether that is reflected in the results over the next few weeks will be decisive for the table, but not for the work we want to do.”

Schwegler, who describes himself as a “level-headed leader”, has already gained experience in leadership roles at fellow Bundesliga clubs Bayern Munich, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Eintracht Frankfurt: “I try to let others thrive in their areas and not put myself in the foreground. What matters are the players and the coaches. The game played out on the pitch is in their hands. Our job is to create the best possible conditions for them.”

“From the bus driver to the kit man”

“What matters is VfL Wolfsburg, the success of the club and the city,” Schwegler continued. “I’m part of that, but I don’t see my role as any smaller or bigger than anyone else’s. Everyone has their part to play. From the bus driver to the kit man, and from the captain and the goalkeeper to the head coach. I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead and can hardly wait to get stuck in.”