Not good. http://www.vfl-wolfsburg.de/50543+M56555896915.html Wasn't all that worried about no Grafite, but no Mandzukic either. Seems like it might be a good week for Helmes to step up.
VfL Wolfsburg just revealed their new (2011-12) jerseys for next year in their last home match against Kaiserslautern as I am watching their match as I speak, what do you guys think? Would you buy one for you jersey/trikot collection, or would you wait and see what happens to the VfL next season? Here are the new kits: http://www.vfl-wolfsburg.de/50543+M5b307f69eea.html
It's so ugly that alone for the sake of aesthetic hygiene, the Wolves ought to be relegated. But I guess you like the colour and all, given your extensive VfL collection. But really, pretty much the worst fate now is the 16th spot. Frankfurt's a mess and I just don't see em braving Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion. BTW, is Bayern or Wolfsburg Germany's most hated club? What do you guys think?
Ahhh yes, the now-famous (or infamous as opposing players and supporters might say) Sud-Tribune (South End of Westfalen-Stadion), which alone holds 25,000 standing strong, quite a sight to see indeed. I myself would not want to be an opposing goalkeeper having to stand with that awesome throng harping at me from behind for 45 minutes. As for Bayern Munich or VfL Wolfsburg being the most hated, Bayern has won 21 titles since the 1970's when they won their first, so they would be the Bundesliga's version of the New York Yankees, one of the most hated (and most-prolific, winning 27 World Series titles) teams in baseball, and as for Wolfsburg, they might be like either the Boston Red Sox or the Oakland Raiders, small-market, well promoted, just haven't won too many times in their histories.
It has taken Mandzukic nearly a full season to show his quality..He reminds me of Olic only better technically..Goodluck to your club..Hopefully you guys will stay in the Bundesliga..
I wouldn't exactly call Wolfsburg well promoted. They have lost about half a billion Euros during the last decade.
I also would not compare them to the Red Sox or Raiders either. Wolfsburg don't have the history, absolutely loyal and in some cases crazy fans or titles either one of those franchises have. Remember, the Red Sox one at the beginning of the century (early 1900) before they sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees.
I think one also should count pre-Bundesliga championships. And Bayern won one previously as well. In any case, if you asked people, who would you rather see relegated? Bayern, Wolfsburg or some other club? I think Wolfsburg would get the most votes.
They don't really state how much money they lose, so it's a bit of speculation, but: According to transfermarkt, they lost (despite the Dzeko money and all) 93,31 million Euros during the last 10 years for transfers. The official costs of their stadium are 53 million. Add an estimated 250 million in salaries over 10 years (based on the estimated figures of the 2009 team, the numbers are from Bild, though - but it's the best we have). Then add other costs (coaches [Magath surely doesn't come cheap], travel, stadium costs, youth academy, whatever) and signing fees etc. Now of course they also have income but: income from transfers is already included. This leaves: - TV and European cup income: their only real source of income. Let's say it was 100-150 million over the last ten years. - merchandise, matchday income: not a major factor for Wolfsburg. - sponsorship: you can hardly count it as "income" what they get from VW, as VW finances the whole thing completely in the first place. This leaves a few minor sponsors. In the end it really depends on undisclosed sums. Most people here think it's very likely that VW spends more on the club than is officially stated. And it's not as if there haven't been some shady backdoor dealings within the company before (see the latest VW scandal and all). Half a billion is, admitted, on the extreme side of estimates, but 300 million+ doesn't look too far off, depending on how much the official and "real" figures differ it might be significantly more, though.
Seems to me you're seriously lowballing those figures. As for VW money, sure they overpay for their sponsorship rights, but you can't chalk it all up as VW charity to their subsidiary. That advertising space has real value.
As for the TV income - this could be calculated more precicesly, but: the most a club can get now per season is 27 million. Now Wolfsburg, during the last ten years, was either in the relegation zone or mid-table most of the time, only twice in the top 5. One season in UEFA-Cup, one in the Champions League. I guess 100 million is indeed too low, but 150 million shouldn't be. Keep in mind that for half the decade the Bundesliga had a TV contract that pay significantly less than the current one. Match day income is hard to say in Wolfsburg's case. There's the question how many tickets they actually SELL. It's an open secret here that they give out free tickets like they are going out of style. And for the advertising space - I doubt it. European play might be of some value - but in Germany the cost/usefulness ratio is likely way worse than what a simple TV ad can achieve. a) everyone knows VW already. b) sponsoring the most bland football club in Germany will hardly make those who don't own a VW already thing "damn, that's awesome". You'd probably have to live here to get a sense of what the real purpose of the club is. Yeah, it's advertisment, partially - but it's also a way for VW managers to stroke their egos. You can't spit around here without having a 50% chance to hit something that says "build by VW". Hell, the entire city of Wolfsburg is VW's version of the Great Pyramid. A monument to their own perceived greatness. Of course they need a Bundesliga club to make the illusion complete, just like the museums and concerts they finance.
Well fellow Wolfsburg supporters, here it is the biggest match of this season, this one being on the road against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, which could forever shape the immediate future of The Green-Whites of VfL as far as our status is concerned, so here is the situation: Wolfsburg wins, we will play our 15th consecutive season in top-flight Bundesliga for the 2011-12 campaign, no matter how Frankfurt or Borussia Monchengladbach does. This is based on our superior goal for/against differential compared to that of Monchengladbach, so even if they win, the VfL will remain in the top-flight Bundesliga. Wolfsburg draws, and Monchengladbach either loses or draws, and Frankfurt either loses or draws, we will be safe. This also is based on our superior goal for/against differential compared to that of Monchengladbach. Wolfsburg draws, Monchengladbach draws, and Frankfurt wins, we will slip to 16th, and will have to play that dreaded one-match playoff against the 3rd best in 2. Bundesliga, with the winner being promoted to top-flight, and the loser being dropped to 2. Bundesliga, joining Borrusia Monchengladbach and FC St. Pauli in receiving that dubious distinction of being relegated. Wolfsburg loses, Monchengladbach loses, and Frankfurt wins, we will slip to 16th, and will have to play that dreaded one-match playoff against the 3rd best in 2. Bundesliga, with the winner being promoted to top-flight, and the loser being dropped to 2. Bundesliga, joining Borrusia Monchengladbach and FC St. Pauli in receiving that dubious distinction of being relegated. Wolfsburg draws, Monchengladbach wins, and Frankfurt loses, we will slip to 16th, and will have to play that dreaded one-match playoff against the 3rd best in 2. Bundesliga, with the winner being promoted to top-flight, and the loser being dropped to 2. Bundesliga, joining Frankfurt and FC St. Pauli in receiving that dubious distinction of being relegated. Wolfsburg loses and Monchengladbach draws or wins, and Frankfurt loses, we will slip to 16th, and will have to play that dreaded one-match playoff against the 3rd best in 2. Bundesliga, with the winner being promoted to top-flight. and the loser being dropped to 2. Bundesliga, joining Frankfurt and FC St. Pauli in receiving that dubious distinction of being relegated. Wolfsburg loses and Monchengladbach draws or wins, and Frankfurt wins, it's "bye-bye Bundesliga" for VfL, as we will be automatically dropped to 2. Bundesliga, joining FC St. Pauli in receiving that dubious distinction of being relegated. I know it is a bit confusing fellow Wolfsburg supporters. If there are any other scenarios in this, please let me know before matchday this Saturday morning here on the US West Coast. Thanks, Ray Jackson USA-based Bundesliga follower and VfL supporter since the 2010-11 season. BigSoccer.com user ID: BIGHMW
Wow! Magath saying he will not allow any player to change his team if they get relegated: http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/0,1518,761923,00.html#ref=rss
To be honest I wish there were more posts in this thread as well. I think Wolfsburg have potential to become a team that qualifies for Europe each season.
They also have the potential to be a 2nd Bundesliga team next season. Dude, without VW's money, VfL Wolfsburg would be a club who struggles to stay in the 2nd Bundesliga. That's not a sin, but any club with VW's money behind it and a halfway competent board should be a club with the potential to qualify for Europe each season.
Noting that VW also put money into SVW, S04 and H96 (and Braunschweig), it would be interesting to see whether they'll increase advertising elsewhere were WOB to be relegated.
It's not as if they put particularily much money into any other club. In Braunschweig they pay normal main sponsor money, but nothing extraordinary by league standards - most likely done to prevent consumer backlash in their home market because of the Wolfsburg thing. They're always quick to point out how they love Eintracht and we're a big happy family and all.
According to a report from Bundesliga.de, the league's official site, their main analyst, former coach of VfB Stuttgart, Hertha BSC, VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund, Jürgen Röber, states he thinks that The Wolves have the best chance of staying up at the top flight: VfL Wolfsburg: 15th, 35 points, 40:47 goals The Wolves were second from bottom when Felix Magath took up the reins. In the seven games since, they have taken nine points, although on several occasions, last Saturday being just the latest, they have passed up a clear opportunity to improve on that total. "It's difficult to accept defeat in a game where you've gone in front. The team started well, but a few players then apparently misjudged the situation", an aggrieved Magath noted after the match. Speaking on the Sunday football programme Dopplelpass, the VfL coach admitted he had "not yet completely come to terms with the whole thing." And he did not beat about the bush as to the reasons in his eyes for the current plight of the side he himself led to the title only two years ago: "The team isn't coming apart, it was never a team in the first place." That notwithstanding Wolfsburg, who travel to 1899 Hoffenheim at the weekend, remain the best-placed of the three affected teams to pull clear of the relegation zone altogether. Röber at any rate is confident that, "VfL will stay up, their superior footballing quality will make the difference in the end." http://www.bundesliga.de/en/liga/news/2010/index.php?f=182805.php I hope he is right, but after 90 minutes of football is all said and done, we will all find out our immediate future and destiny for the 2011-12 season.
I don't think so. I think they would put up the money to try to keep as many of the best players as possible to get VfL back into the 1. Liga. However, I'm hoping this won't be necessary.
Me too dude, as a matter of fact I hope that the projection in that article is right after this weekend, like I stated earlier, 90 minutes of football will tell the story for us. Like Felix said, the team never was a team, it was more of an group of individuals as opposed to one cohesive unit, from what I have heard, Felix has always believed in a team effort rather than that of one person, just think of it, I'll bet you that Edin Dzeko would be more than willing to stay in Wolfsburg and in the BL if Felix was with us earlier this season or even if Felix was re-signed after our championship season of 2008-09, you just don't tinker with success, there's an old saying that we here in the States have: "if it ain't broke don't fix it". I still think that under Felix Magath, we could've had a smewhat dynasty going for us and maybe even have been in contention for the title or at least in the running for either a CL or Europa league spot every year. Adding Diego this year was a great move. With him, Dzeko and Grafite, I still think that they would've become somewhat of a "Big 3" that would be one of the most dangerous combinations in Bundesliga history, ahh but who knows now, wth Edin Dzeko not even in the starting lineup in Man Shitty in the EPL, who knows after the 4-year deal he has is over what he might do next.