Wolfsburg Sack Coach Daniel Bauer As Relegation Threat Deepens

VfL Wolfsburg have dismissed head coach, Daniel Bauer, as the German Bundesliga side battles to avoid relegation.

The struggling club confirmed the decision on Sunday, a day after a 2-1 home defeat to Hamburger SV left Wolfsburg second from bottom in the Bundesliga table.

The club also parted ways with the managing director of sport, Peter Christiansen.

Wolfsburg sit 17th in the standings, two points behind Werder Bremen, who currently occupy the relegation play-off spot and face Union Berlin later on Sunday.

“This decision was anything but easy for us,” said sporting director Pirmin Schwegler. “We had hoped to turn things around together. After analysing the overall situation, we came to the conclusion that we needed to give the team a new impetus to secure our place in the league.

“We are very grateful to Daniel for his commitment to the first team, but also for his many years of work as a coach in the VfL Academy. We wish him all the very best for the future, both professionally and personally.”

Bauer stepped in after Wolfsburg sacked former coach Paul Simonis in November. Initially appointed on an interim basis, he later secured the job permanently after winning three of his first seven matches.

However, the form soon dipped. An 8-1 thrashing by Bayern Munich marked the start of a slump that saw Wolfsburg go eight league games without a win, collecting just two points in that stretch.

German media reports suggest former Wolfsburg boss Dieter Hecking is the leading candidate to take over and steer the club away from relegation trouble.

Hecking guided Wolfsburg to the DFB-Pokal title in 2015 and finished second in the Bundesliga that same season.

Wolfsburg, owned by Volkswagen, have not been relegated since earning promotion to Germany’s top flight in 1997. The club now faces a tense battle to preserve that record as the season enters its final stretch.