If Dieter Hecking has his way, there can only be one conclusion at the end of the season. “Afterwards we want to say: Second league was shit, but good,” the former successful coach shouted to the fans from the stage that was set up behind the stands of the Volkswagen Arena. It was still early, only 1,000 fans had come to the VfL Wolfsburg fan festival two weeks ago. Hecking's words were greeted with polite applause. They were unable to create a spirit of optimism.
That would have been surprising too. Most fans came to the event later, which was also something of a mood test. There were around 15,000 during the day. So it wasn't that bad - considering that hardly any other German club has squandered as much credit in recent years as the kicking offshoot of the Volkswagen Group.
The relegation from the 1st Bundesliga and the dismal failure in the relegation match against Paderborn in May were the negative climax of an almost unprecedented undesirable development. VfL became a synonym for everything that is bad in professional football: for players who earn well but have little identification - as well as for confused club management. Things cannot continue like this.
Hecking, who as a coach was unable to prevent relegation and who has been responsible for the reconstruction as sports director since June, is aware of this. VfL will have to make advance payments in order to regain trust. Not so much among the football fans, who never liked the club anyway - but rather among the disappointed supporters from the city and the region.
So Hecking, sports director Pirmin Schwegler and the new coach Tobias Strobl, who came from third division club SC Verl, got to work. They achieved something remarkable – some even say something unique for the second division. Eight external additions came for a total of 22.70 million euros - including Fabian Reese (Hertha BSC), Muhammed Damar (TSG Hoffenheim), Robert Glatzel (Hamburger SV), Fraser Hornby (Darmstadt 98) and Hauke Wahl (FC St. Pauli), in whom first division clubs were also interested. The signing of Reese in particular caused astonishment. The second-best scorer of the last second division season (10 goals/14 preparations) was even considered by Champions League participants such as Borussia Dortmund.
That probably wasn't even all. “We are not yet through with the access,” announced Hecking. In any case, the means for this would be available.
This brings jealous people to the scene. How can it be that a relegated team that has done pretty much everything wrong starts the season with a record budget? On the one hand, this is due to the transfer surplus of over 40 million euros that the Wolfsburg team was able to record. Most recently, striker Dzenan Pejcinovic moved to VfB Stuttgart for 25 million euros. Anyone who wishes harm to VfL - and there are quite a few of them - says: Because the club has given so many players seemingly unnecessarily long contracts in recent years, it can now generate transfer fees.
Uwe Rösler, the coach of league rivals VfL Bochum, said what many people think. “For me, Wolfsburg are the ‘Galacticos’ of the second division,” he explained, alluding to the stars of Real Madrid. He's not completely wrong: Wolfsburg's budget is somewhere between 50 and 60 million euros - and therefore clearly higher than what large traditional clubs such as Hamburg, Bremen, Schalke, Cologne or Stuttgart budgeted during their time in the lower house. “You can only congratulate the club that VW supports football so much despite the issues within the group,” Rösler told “Bild”. For him, first place is “practically already taken”.
With that he placed his finger on the wound. Despite transfer proceeds of 64.25 million euros, this would hardly be possible without the ongoing subsidies from VW. And the parent company remains unwaveringly loyal to its wholly owned subsidiary - even if many critics secretly hoped that the automobile manufacturer could move away from it because of its own problems. After all, VW's profits fell by almost half in the last financial year. A month ago, CEO Oliver Blume announced that Volkswagen would cut up to 50,000 jobs worldwide.
However, the all-clear was given for VfL. "At Volkswagen we don't skimp on the quality of our cars. And in football we don't skimp on the quality of the teams. There is potential in the general conditions," said Sebastian Rudolph, chairman of the VfL supervisory board. In other words: There is a cost reduction in the administrative area, some managing directors and coaches had to leave - but the aim is to finance a team that can achieve promotion again. Volkswagen will fulfill existing contracts and ensure “financial stability regardless of the league,” said Rudolph. VW remains “a secure source of support even in difficult times”.
The association has to accept a reduction in annual donations - “Bild” reports that around 55 million euros will be transferred instead of around 80 million previously. But that would still be as much as, for example, a seasoned first division team like 1. FSV Mainz 05 spends on its overall budget. And many people are offended by this and suspect that there is a distortion of competition.
The debate about the structure of VfL could be given new fuel by an assessment by the Federal Cartel Office. It was concluded on Wednesday that the 50+1 rule set by the German Football League (DFL) was fundamentally permissible. It is intended to limit the influence of investors. However, according to the authority: “The prerequisite is that the rule is applied consistently and without differences – unless there is an objective reason for this.” It must be ensured that there is equal open access to membership at all clubs and that the fans' participation is ensured.
However, this is only very limited at RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen - and not possible at all at VfL Wolfsburg. The club has benefited from a so-called “funding exception” since 2001, according to which donors who have been continuously committed to a club for over 20 years do not fall below 50+1. However, that alone is not enough justification, according to the cartel office. VW would probably have to reduce its influence.
However, this is not planned. It is hoped that “a fair, practical and long-term sustainable solution” will be created. "At the same time, we also point out that Volkswagen AG is obliged to protect the interests of its shareholders. We therefore reserve the right to take any appropriate further steps," the group said in a statement. If necessary, a lawsuit is also possible. However, this is unlikely to do much to increase the popularity of the people of Wolfsburg.
None of this changes the goal of making an immediate return to the Bundesliga. “We have to repair an industrial accident,” said Hecking. The new team, which at best showed its potential in the 0-0 draw against 1. FC Kaiserslautern at the start of the season a week ago, has a real tough test waiting for it on Sunday: it's off to the Niedersachsensenderby in Hanover (1.30 p.m./live Sky).
