Goulash and mulled wine

Hasenhüttl’s club cancels glamorous Christmas party

Wolfsburg coach Ralph Hasenhüttl

(Bild: APA/AFP/Ronny Hartmann)

Goulash and a mushroom pan instead of a gourmet buffet: VfL Wolfsburg, the club of coach Ralph Hasenhüttl, is scrapping the obligatory Christmas party, according to "Sportbild". This year, the year-end celebrations will be much more down-to-earth.

According to the German tabloid portal, VfL Wolfsburg's Christmas parties have always been quite something in the past: Glamor, pomp, even magicians and DJs for show purposes are said to have been the norm in the VIP rooms of the stadium. And an opulent buffet to match. This year it will be a little simpler. As "Sportbild" claims to have learned, the club employees were invited to a "two-hour end-of-year party with goulash, mushroom pan, gingerbread, mulled wine and punch". In other words: the glamorous Christmas party has had its day. At least in 2024.

The VW crisis
The reason: the precarious situation at club sponsor and owner VW. A dispute about planned massive savings has been raging there for months. The trade union has already taken to the barricades, and on Wednesday it was announced that the company is selling a (controversial) plant in China. In short, the situation at the automotive giant has never been more relaxed. And this is obviously also having an impact on soccer. It is not known whether VfL already has concrete savings plans. At the very least, however, the club's management, led by the Dane Peter Christensen, is likely to be picking up on subtle vibrations. And react to them. The pompous end to the year must consequently give way to a more down-to-earth and contemplative one.

VW against RB
Regardless of the economic turbulence, things will be tight again for Wolfsburg and Hasenhüttl on the green turf on Saturday. Points are urgently needed. Eleventh place after eleven rounds - more could be possible. In the twelfth round, they face a team away from home whose owner is also a global brand: RB Leipzig. In any case, there are no reports of any cost-cutting ambitions on their part. And no quarrels with the union either.