Wolf retired in Wolfsburg, Röber takes over

[olafgb]

VfL Wolfsburg's GM Peter Pander always announced that Wolfgang Wolf would stay until June 30th, but in a post game interview on Saturday Wolf himself already confessed that he is surprised how bad some reacted on the fact that he leaves at the end of the season. As consequence Wolf announced his immediate retirement on Monday evening to the club.

The club officials' wish candidate Morten Olsen did not get a permit to leave as the Danish soccer association was not able to find a successor already now, and so he was no longer a candidate in Wolfsburg. Instead, they agreed on Jürgen Röber (49), who was with Hertha BSC Berlin until February 2002. Röber gets a contract until 2006. He was always an option in the coaching debate - also as Wolf successor already before this season - but some officials did not like him.

The contract with GM Peter Pander also was extended, until 2008.


Profile Jürgen Röber:

Player:
Werder Bremen
Bayern Munich
Calgary Boomers
Nottingham Forest
Bayer Leverkusen
RW Essen

Coach:
3 1/2 years assistant coach at RW Essen
1 1/2 years head coach at RW Essen (not fired, but transferred)
1 1/4 year head coach VfB Stuttgart
6 1/4 years head coach Hertha BSC Berlin

[MarioKempes]

Wolfgang Wolf and Peter Pan [der]. Sounds like a fairy tale. :)

[wolfsburgh]

I predicted that Wolf could not last when this arrangement was first announced, so this does not surprise me in the least. Lame duck coaches don't work. I don't understand how you could reward Pander for this idiocy by extending his contract. As for Roeber, he did OK at Hertha; in terms of coaching philosophy, isn't he similar to Wolf? His stock has probably gone up a bit, since Stevens hasn't done any better at Hertha than did Roeber (although the jury is obviously still out on Stevens).

[vflkirwan]

Thanks for keeping us up in 98
and thanks for UEFA in 2000.

All the best to Wolfgang!

[olafgb]

Röber is quite good. I mean, he is not absolute top, but he can bring Wolfsburg to the next level, which is permanently playing for or in the UEFA Cup. I would rate him a level higher than Wolf.