Staff shake-up at VfB? Bundesliga club reportedly eyeing Wohlgemuth
While VfB Stuttgart is currently the toast of the Bundesliga, sitting comfortably in fourth, cruising in the DFB Cup, and eyeing the Europa League knockout stages, a familiar specter of success looms: the vultures are circling. According to reports from the 'Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung,' VfL Wolfsburg has identified the architect of Stuttgart's stunning resurgence, sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth, as their primary target to overhaul their own faltering sporting project.The potential move, speculated for as early as January, represents a classic power play in German football, where a club’s triumphs in the table can be swiftly undermined by a raid on its backroom brains trust. For Stuttgart, Wohlgemuth’s work has been nothing short of transformative; his keen eye for talent, reminiscent of a young Michael Zorc at Dortmund, has been instrumental in assembling a squad that plays with a cohesive, attacking verve that belies its budget.His potential departure would be a body blow far more significant than any single defeat, striking at the very strategic core that has made this season so special. Wolfsburg’s interest is born of desperation and opportunity in equal measure.Their recent 2-1 defeat to Werder Bremen proved the final straw for the previous regime, leading to the dismissal of Paul Simonis and signaling a desire for a complete philosophical reset. In targeting Wohlgemuth, they are not just seeking a new executive; they are attempting to import the entire Stuttgart blueprint for success.The 46-year-old’s reported candidacy alongside former Wolfsburg stalwart and current Leipzig boss Marcel Schäfer presents a fascinating dichotomy for the Wolves' hierarchy: do they opt for the proven external visionary in Wohlgemuth, whose data-driven approach and shrewd contract negotiations have drawn comparisons to Liverpool’s Michael Edwards, or do they lean into sentiment and club history with Schäfer, a man who understands the Volkswagen Arena’s unique culture but lacks the same track record of building a project from the ground up? The stakes are immense. For Stuttgart, losing Wohlgemuth could trigger a destabilization akin to RB Leipzig’s struggles after the departure of key figures like Ralf Rangnick, where a clearly defined sporting identity slowly erodes.For Wolfsburg, this is a chance to finally escape years of mid-table mediocrity and re-establish themselves as a force capable of challenging for European places, but the gamble is colossal. Can they lure a key figure from a club on a clear upward trajectory? And if they do, can Wohlgemuth replicate his magic without the specific ecosystem and scouting network he helped build at Stuttgart? This is more than a simple staff shake-up; it’s a high-stakes chess match that could redefine the fortunes of two Bundesliga contenders for years to come, a stark reminder that in modern football, the most critical battles are often fought not on the pitch, but in the boardroom.
#hottest news
#VfB Stuttgart
#Fabian Wohlgemuth
#VfL Wolfsburg
#staff shake-up
#sporting director
#transfer market
