The 2nd Bundesliga has a new attractive figure. Last week, Fabian Reese from VfL Wolfsburg spoke with noticeable emotion about the whistles from opposing fans and admitted: “That hurts me.” This time even the opponent's coach vehemently stood in front of the "Wolves" star and even criticized his own fans.
Cottbus coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz clearly attacked the Energie supporters because they had constantly booed Reese from the guest block. "What's that supposed to mean? I think that's impossible," said the 61-year-old - and made such fan behavior a problem for the entire league: "I think that all clubs have to stand up and say: You can't do that! That’s an absolute no-go!”
It is now so rare in German football for coaches or club representatives to position themselves so clearly against their own fans that Wollitz's statement even overshadowed one of the most spectacular games of the season so far. The newly promoted Cottbus scored against the big promotion favorites Wolfsburg in added time to make it 4:4 (1:3), even though they were already 0:3 behind after less than 35 minutes.
But the successful FC Energie coach was so bothered by his dealings with Reese that he questioned his own future in Cottbus, even if only in hints. “A boy, 28, 29 years old, who has this dream of playing football, who has this dream of being promoted: They are completely destroying him,” said Wollitz about his own fans. “And they go home and laugh their heads off about it. Then it will be difficult for me to continue doing this work in Cottbus the way I do it. Because I can’t accept that.”
Why is Reese, of all people, so polarizing?
There are various reasons why the 28-year-old Reese has become such a red flag for many fans. The Kiel native last played for Hertha BSC for three years. He announced his commitment to the club and the city he loves, Berlin, among other things, with a publicly celebrated contract extension in May 2025.
A year later, he still went to VfL Wolfsburg for around eight million euros - because he sees greater opportunities for promotion there and because Hertha urgently needed the money this summer. Since then, he has only been met with hostility on social networks and now also in the stadium.
“Sometimes it is the case that positive feelings turn negative, towards disappointment, resentment, and sometimes, unfortunately, hatred,” Reese told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” back in August. “If anyone has lost faith in the romance of football because of my move, then I am sincerely sorry.” But he “never wanted to consciously polarize. I really didn’t see it coming that my person would become such a political issue.”
The Volkswagen Club Wolfsburg is also seen as an enemy for many opposing fans. Despite relegation from the Bundesliga, VfL invested almost 30 million euros in new players.
“Living in a very strange society”
Wollitz and Wolfsburg's captain Hauke Wahl don't think dealing with Reese is just a problem for football alone. They also see it as a sign of general social brutalization.
“We live in a very strange society in which you no longer begrudge anyone else and in which there is a lot of envy,” said Wahl after the Cottbus game. “For example, against Altglienicke, people come to the stadium just to rush. I don't understand what's going on in their lives and why putting other people down makes them feel better."
His coach Tobias Strobl expressly thanked Wollitz for his clear words. "That's why I appreciate Pelé," he said - and also became fundamental in the direction of the Cottbus fans: "Everyone who whistles should ask themselves what would happen if they stood there or their son, their child stood there."
