March 17, (THEWILL)- Wolfsburg have appointed Ralph Hasenhuttl as their new head coach on a long-term contract, following the sacking of Niko Kovac.
The 56-year-old Austrian, who has previously managed RB Leipzig and Ingolstadt in the Bundesliga, had been out of work since leaving the English Premier League club Southampton in November 2022.
Wolfsburg confirmed that Hasenhuttl will be unveiled at a press conference on Monday, before taking charge of his first training session on Tuesday. The appointment comes after a dismal run of results under Kovac’s leadership, culminating in a 3-1 home defeat to Augsburg on Saturday, which proved to be the final straw for the Croatian coach.
Kovac had taken over at the Volkswagen Arena in May 2022 but failed to turn around the team’s fortunes, overseeing an 11-game winless streak in the league. Club director Marcel Schafer expressed regret over the decision but deemed it necessary to provide a “new impulse” and “stabilise the situation”.
In a statement on the club’s website, Schafer thanked the 52-year-old, his brother Robert, and assistant Aaron Briggs, wishing them well for their future endeavours. Wolfsburg currently sit 14th in the Bundesliga, seven points clear of the relegation zone with eight games remaining.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
