Neo-coach Hasenhüttl:

“Feelings I haven’t had for a long time”

Successful debut for Ralph Hasenhüttl as Wolfsburg coach

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Ralph Hasenhüttl is back in the German Bundesliga and was delighted with a win on his comeback after almost six years. In his first game as coach of VfL Wolfsburg, the 56-year-old experienced pure Bundesliga action in a 2-0 win at Werder Bremen. "It's a nervous tension. You can tell. It's feelings I haven't had for a long time. It's something really nice," he said on Saturday.

The last time the Styrian had been on the touchline in a Bundesliga stadium was on May 12, 2018 for RB Leipzig in the 6-2 win at Hertha BSC in Berlin. From December 2018 to November 2022, he was at Southampton FC in the English Premier League. After leaving there, he took a longer break. When the request came from Wolfsburg, he was ready to face the stress of professional soccer again.

"Something very special"
"I'm no longer a young coach. I've also worked in a very, very intense league recently. And yet it's still something very special to be back in the Bundesliga," said Hasenhüttl. "You still know the stadiums when you travel here. You have memories of games that happened a long time ago." The game in Bremen had then also given everything "in terms of nervous strain, decisions, adapting tactically again and again". The nice thing is "that you still get points for it".

Ralph Hasenhüttl is back in the German Bundesliga.

(Bild: GEPA)

Thanks to goals from Maxence Lacroix (45.+4) and Lovro Majer (84), Wolfsburg ended their negative run of eleven games without a win in their first match since parting company with Niko Kovac and celebrated their first success in 2024. Three points that nurtured their hopes of staying in the league. Before Sunday's games, the club was eight points off the relegation places and ten points off the relegation places.

After two weeks of working with the team, Hasenhüttl had expected that not everything would go according to plan. In addition, some players were away with their national teams and were only able to take part in a few sessions. "Three points. That was the most important thing today. I have to say that very clearly. Today wasn't about playing the stars out of the sky in beauty."

Praise from the players
Nevertheless, something seems to have changed under Hasenhüttl. "The work against the ball is clearer. It didn't used to be quite as detailed," said captain Maximilian Arnold, for example - with a slight dig at Hasenhüttl's predecessor Kovac. Goalscorer and later red offender Lacroix had a similar view: "We had a clear plan when pressing."