Bundesliga: Wolfsburg Dumps Hasenhüttl as Coach Amid Slump
No longer serving as coach for Wolfsburg in Europa Cup: Hasenhüttl - Wolfsburg coach, Hasenhüttl, resigns from his position.
Wolfsburg's Bundesliga club has given the boot to their coach, Ralph Hasenhüttl, effective immediately. The Austrian took charge of the club during a tumultuous spell during the previous season, as per a statement by sports director Peter Christiansen. Despite his efforts in stabilizing the team, recent results and development led to this tough call.
"We felt it was emerging as necessary to react now," said Christiansen, much to the dismay of Hasenhüttl supporters. As for the upcoming two Bundesliga matches, U19 coach Daniel Bauer will take charge alongside U19 assistant coach Julian Klamt and U16 head coach Tobias Holm. The team will face TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on May 11 (8:30 PM/DAZN), followed by a match against Borussia Mönchengladbach on May 18.
The Volkswagen club had eyed a return to international play but fell short of achieving that goal for the fourth consecutive season. Following a dismal run of eight games with only two draws, the team's management was compelled to act.
Hasenhüttl, 57, joined Wolfsburg on March 17, 2024. Despite having a contract valid until 2026, his tenure at the club was shorter than his predecessor, Niko Kovac, who now helms Borussia Dortmund.
Discussing his tenure’s imminent end, Hasenhüttl had indicated after a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Dortmund on May 7, 2025, "I guess we'll be going our separate ways today, working together for another fortnight, and then it seems the summer is on the horizon." Earlier, the club’s management had expressed their intentions to stick with Coach Hasenhüttl until the end of the season.
Defensive player Kilian Fischer, following the devastating loss in Dortmund, said, "I find it a tad unsavory to always blame the coach. He's not on the pitch. It's our task as players to sort it out."
Strengthened by Hasenhüttl’s rebuilding efforts saw a noticeable shift in the Wolves' fortunes. The team found itself in a dire sporting crisis in March, with increasing signs of an early parting ways starting to surface.
At his third Bundesliga stop following FC Ingolstadt and RB Leipzig, Hasenhüttl initially saved the Wolves from relegation in the spring of 2024. From summer onwards, he built a new team, including Algerian Mohammed Amoura, Greek Konstantinos Koulierakis, and 19-year-old Bence Dardai, a team that appeared promising until mid-February.
However, several factors contributed to Hasenhüttl’s downfall. His record at home against relegation candidates was disappointing, having failed to win against Holstein Kiel (2-2), VfL Bochum (1-1), FC St. Pauli (1-1), and 1. FC Heidenheim (0-1) in the spring.
In addition to the repeated failure to secure a place in the Europa League, Hasenhüttl’s lack of clear playing style with the ball and the new sports director Peter Christiansen’s dissatisfaction further contributed to his fall from grace.
{Ralph Hasenhüttl, Peter Christiansen, VfL Wolfsburg, Bundesliga, European Cup, Daniel Bauer, DAZN, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Kilian Fischer, Jonas Wind, Mohamed Amoura, Spring, Mattias Svanberg, Maximilian Arnold, Bence Darday, Yannick Gerhardt}
### Factors Adding Pressure:- Defensive Instability: The absence of crucial defenders like Kevin Paredes and Sebastian Bornauw meant relying on a makeshift backline, further exposing vulnerabilities[1].- Midfield Struggles: Absences due to suspension (Maximilian Arnold) and injury (Mattias Svanberg) weakened midfield control, forcing untested pairings like Bence Dardai and Yannick Gerhardt[1].- Scoring Drought: Even though Jonas Wind, Mohamed Amoura, and Patrick Wimmer were deployed, Wolfsburg struggled to maintain consistency[1].
{[1] Source: Bundesliga statistics, May 7, 2025.}
- Ralph Hasenhüttl, who had a contract with VfL Wolfsburg until 2026, has been removed as coach amidst a slump in the Bundesliga.
- Prior to his dismissal, Hasenhüttl had indicated that his tenure's end was approaching after a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Borussia Dortmund.
- The Volkswagen club, initially aiming for a return to international play, fell short of achieving that goal for the fourth consecutive season.
- Konstantinos Koulierakis, one of the players strengthened by Hasenhüttl’s rebuilding efforts at Wolfsburg, was a part of the promising team that appeared until mid-February.
- The club is now facing pressure due to factors such as defensive instability, midfield struggles, and scoring drought, as stated in the Bundesliga statistics from May 7, 2025.
