Wolfsburg have Kuntz lined up as Kovac replacement

Wolfsburg’s local “Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung” reports that Germany’s green company team have a replacement head-coach lined up should Niko Kovac’s Wolves lose or draw against Hoffenheim tomorrow. 

Following three straight 1-1 draws, VfL Wolfsburg trainer Niko Kovac sits on the hot seat. The former Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Bayern München gaffer presides over an underachieving 11th-placed side that the VfL administrative team spent some €70 million re-tooling this past summer. Rumors that Kovac might be in line for the sack began cropping up on Thursday.

For many Bundesliga watchers, the notion that Wolfsburg are prepared to part company with Kovac seems unlikely until a suitable replacement can be procured. Current FC St. Pauli trainer Fabian Hürzeler quickly quashed Friday rumors that he might be a candidate today. The northern “Autostadt” now reports that Germany’s green company team do have someone in mind.

Former Germany U21 head-coach Stefan Kuntz is available after his two-year-tenure in charge of the Turkish national team came to end this past autumn. The Lower Saxon publication does note that Kuntz may wish to return to the DFB after the season. The 61-year-old would thus only take over “die Wölfe” on a temporary basis.

Such an arrangement remains common in German football. It last occurred during the second half of the 2020/21 campaign, when DFB-trainer Hannes Wolf served as a caretaker trainer for Bayer 04 Leverkusen following the firing of Peter Bosz. Wolf returned to the DFB after the season and is currently an assistant coach on Julian Nagelsmann’s staff.

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