VfL Wolfsburg separates from coach Florian Kohfeldt

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Florian Kohfeldt

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Swen gatekeeper / dpa

VfL Wolfsburg has parted ways with coach Florian Kohfeldt.

This was announced by the Bundesliga soccer club.

The TV broadcaster Sky and "Bild" had previously reported on the separation.

"In trusting and honest discussions, we mutually agreed to end the cooperation," said Managing Director Jörg Schmadtke.

The VfL top continued and intensified the analysis of the season on Saturday evening after the 2: 2 (1: 2) against the German champions Bayern Munich and on Sunday.

"We came to the realization that we would be under pressure from the start, which would mean too much of a burden for the team, coach and club," he said.

The step came as a surprise after improved performance by the Volkswagen club, as the VfL leadership around Schmadtke and sports director Marcel Schäfer Kohfeldt had recently always strengthened their backs and publicly spoke of wanting to compete with him next season.

For the Wolfsburg it is already the second change of coach in this sportingly completely failed season.

Former Bayern captain Mark van Bommel took over the club in the summer as a Champions League participant.

After eight games without a win, the Dutchman had to leave in October.

Under Kohfeldt, the club got involved in the relegation battle after heavy defeats such as the 0: 3 in Augsburg and the 1: 6 in Dortmund.

As once in Bremen

Kohfeldt started with two wins against Bayer Leverkusen (2-0) and FC Augsburg (1-0) in the Bundesliga and in between another win in the Champions League against Red Bull Salzburg (2-1).

After that, a negative series of eight defeats and two draws in ten competitive games began for the last team in Group G of the premier class until February.

Despite some victories after the end of the winter transfer window and the surprise purchase of attacker Max Kruse, VfL only scored 20 points in the second half of the season.

The series of defeats led the team to twelfth place in the Bundesliga at the end of the season.

For Kohfeldt it was the second time in his coaching career that he was unable to stop such a sporting development.

He also had to go to Werder Bremen after nine league games without a win before the final day of the season.

A week later, the four-time German champions were relegated from the Bundesliga for the first time in 40 years.