Wolfsburg sack coach Daniel Bauer in relegation blow

Wolfsburg sack Daniel Bauer after a poor run leaves the club second from bottom in the Bundesliga and facing the threat of relegation

Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg have dismissed interim head coach Daniel Bauer after a disappointing run of results left the side second from bottom and facing the serious threat of relegation from Germany’s top flight for the first time.

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The decision came a day after Wolfsburg suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Hamburger SV on Saturday, a damaging result that deepened the club’s relegation fears in the Bundesliga.

Bauer had been appointed on an interim basis in November following the dismissal of his predecessor, Paul Simonis. The coach initially steadied the team, winning three of his first seven matches in charge.

However, Wolfsburg’s form collapsed in recent weeks, with the side collecting just two points from their last eight league games.

The struggling campaign has left the Volkswagen-backed club hovering dangerously close to the drop zone. Wolfsburg currently sit two points behind Werder Bremen, who occupy the relegation play-off position.

German media reports on Sunday suggested that experienced manager Dieter Hecking is expected to return to the club in a bid to rescue their season.

Hecking previously guided Wolfsburg to victory in the DFB-Pokal in 2015 and led the team to a second-place finish in the Bundesliga during the same period.

Wolfsburg, promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in 1997, have never been relegated from the top flight.

The club also famously won the league title in 2009, making the current crisis a stark and worrying moment in its modern history.

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With the season entering a decisive phase, Wolfsburg’s leadership now faces the urgent challenge of reversing a perilous slide that threatens the club’s long-standing Bundesliga status.

Quadri Olaitan