Wolfsburg next manager

Wolfsburg sacked Ralph Hasenhuttl in May, with two Bundesliga games left to go, following an eight-match winless streak and 12th in the table. Wolfsburg are determined to get their next appointment right and find the man who can lead the club to the top half of the Bundesliga. Join us at Gafferumours as we take a look at who could be the next manager of Wolfsburg.

The Favourite?: Jacob Neestrup

Wolfsburg sporting director Peter Christiansen's ideal appointment is Copenhagen manager Jacob Neestrup. Christiansen is keen to bring in his fellow countrymen with whom he worked in Copenhagen prior to taking up his post in Lower Saxony. Neestrup has guided the club to 2 Danish Leagues and 2 Danish cups in 3 seasons in charge and an impressive 2023/24 Champions League campaign, where Copenhagen finished second in a group including Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Galatasaray. However, his lack of experience in a top 5 league and a trophyless 2023/24 campaign remains a cause for concern.

The backup: Paul Simonis

Paul Simonis is heavily linked with Wolfsburg. Simonis was given his first job as first team manager this season at Eredivisie club Go Ahead Eagles. Simonis led the Dutch club to 7th place in the Eredivisie, their highest finish since 1969. More impressively, he led the club to unexpected glory in the KNVB cup. Simonis has done outstanding work in his sole season as first-team manager, however, it is unknown whether his performance will outweigh his lack of experience.

Gafferumours suggests: Marco Rose

Marco remains one of the most underappreciated German managers. Notable achievements of the Leipzig native include leading Borussia Mönchengladbach to 4th in the Bundesliga, securing Champions League football in the 2019/20 season. Rose led Dortmund to 2nd in the Bundesliga in his sole season in charge in the 2021/22 season. Returning to his native Leipzig in the 2022/23 season to take the reins at RB Leipzig, Rose finished 3rd and 4th in the Bundesliga in his first 2 seasons at the club, as well as winning the 2022/23 DFB Pokal in his first season in charge. He was harshly sacked in March this year, with the club 6th in the league despite being 3 points behind Champions League places with 7 games to go. His interim successor failed to achieve any European qualification, with the club finishing 6 points behind Champions League football. In hindsight, it was a detrimental decision to sack him. However, his free agent status would benefit Wolfsburg, who have the chance to appoint a proven Bundesliga manager who has consistently met expectations, a profile that suits what Wolfsburg is looking for at this point of time.

Controversial Croat: Edin Terzic

If the results of just 2 games were changed across 2 seasons at Dortmund, Terzic would boast a record of a Bundesliga and Champions League winner. Alas, Terzic can only boast of a DFB Pokal win in his first stint as interim Dortmund manager in the 2020/21 season. In Terzic's tenure as permanent manager of the club, he missed out on the 2022/23 Bundesliga title on goal difference after dropping points on the last day of the season. In the 2023/24 season, Dortmund finished in an inadequate 5th place. However, their fortunes in the Champions League were reversed, reaching the final where they eventually lost to Real Madrid. Appointing Terzic would be a gamble, with no indication of how the club would perform in the league. Although it might be a risk worth taking, considering the potential high rewards.

Deutsch Domenico: Domenico Tedesco

Domenico Tedesco's surname means 'German' in Italian; could the 'German' return to Germany? Tedesco remains a free agent following his most recent spell as Belgium national team manager; could a return to club management be on the cards? Tedesco has an impressive managerial resume, boasting of leading Schalke to finish second in the Bundesliga, as well as guiding RB Leipzig to DFB Pokal glory. His most recent job as head coach of Belgium bore mixed results. He led Belgium to an impressive 15-match unbeaten run; however, Belgium's mediocre Euro 2024 campaign may count against him. Tedesco has shown throughout his career the impressive ability to produce immediate results. Tedesco may be a short-term fix for the Wolves due to his short tenures at clubs, however, his track record could be perfect for Wolfsburg to meet their expectations.

Roger that: Roger Schmidt

Established coach Roger Schmidt remains without a club following his sacking by Benfica earlier this season. Schmidt's time in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen boasts of a 4th and 3rd place finish in his 2 full seasons in charge of the club. In his most recent job at Benfica, Schmidt won the 2022/23 Liga Portugal in his first season, and finished second in the league in his second season in charge. Schmidt is an attractive candidate to the Wolves hierarchy with his experience and achievements.

A Blessin(g) of a manager: Alexander Blessin

Alexander Blessin is the current St. Pauli manager, having kept the newly promoted team safe from relegation by finishing 14th in the Bundesliga this season. Prior to his appointment in St. Pauli, he managed Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium in the 2023/24 season, winning the Belgian cup for the first time after 110 years for the club. However, there are concerns about appointing Blessin, including a relegation stain on his CV after failing to keep Genoa in Serie A in the 2021/22 season, as well as failing to win the Jupiler Pro League with USG despite having an 8 point lead at the top of the 2023/24 regular season.

Young and in demand: Danny Rohl

Danny Rohl's first and only managerial job has been an impressive stint at Championship club Sheffield Wednesday. Rohl was enlisted midway through the 2023/24 Championship season with Wednesday in the relegation zone. Rohl navigated the club away from the relegation zone and secured Championship survival on the final day with a 20th-place finish. This season was his first full season in charge, leading the club to a strong 12th-place finish. However, Rohl is inexperienced, and it is a gamble on whether his appointment would pay off.

Consistent Veteran: Urs Fischer

Urs Fischer remains without a job following his sacking at Union Berlin in the 2023/24 Bundesliga season. Fischer led Union Berlin to promotion to the Bundesliga from Bundesliga 2 2018/19 season in his first season at the club. He led the club to 11th, 7th, 5th, and 4th-place finishes in the Bundesliga, leading the club to European Conference League, Europa League and Champions League campaigns.

Who else is linked?

Other candidates that should be considered are Ole Werner (formerly of Werder Bremen), Lucien Favre (formerly of Nice and Dortmund) and Kasper Hjulmand (former manager of the Denmark national team).