Jonas Wind says he's not ruling anything out in Wolfsburg's quest to play in Europe in 2025/26 - including a spot in the UEFA Champions League.

With 20 games down and 14 of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season still to go, Wind's goals are helping the Wolves keep pace in a congested race for European qualification. Although down in mid-table ahead of their Matchday 21 showdown with defending champions Bayer Leverkusen, they're only four points outside the top four, which would guarantee direct entry into the Champions League.

bundesliga.com spoke to the Denmark international about his side's prospects for the remainder of the campaign, life at Wolfsburg and much more besides...

bundesliga.com: Jonas Wind, you welcome Leverkusen on Saturday. They're unbeaten in 26 away games - what do you expect from them?

Jonas Wind: "Tough game, it always is against Leverkusen. They are so good with the ball, so you need to know you will run a lot in these games. When we have the ball, we need to secure it and be good with the ball, otherwise it will be a really long game. I expect a tough game, but last time we played them here at home we had a good fight and lost by one goal. Anything is possible, even though they haven’t lost away for a long time, but hopefully we can be the team to beat them."

bundesliga.com: How will you approach the game on Saturday to enable you to win it?

Wind: "It’s early in the week now, so we will maybe find out tomorrow or in the next couple of days. We know we maybe won't have the ball as much as we would like to, so we have to defend well, be compact in the team and when we have the ball be clever with it. We can't give the ball away too easily, and then we have to be clinical with the chances we get.”

bundesliga.com: How will it pan out?

Wind: "Just as long as we win then I'm happy, the result doesn't matter."

Wind (l.) was a second-half substitute as Wolfsburg lost a seven-goal thriller to Bayer Leverkusen earlier in the season. - Getty Images

bundesliga.com: You’ve played for Wolfsburg for exactly three years now, how would you sum up your time here?

Wind: "The time has gone pretty fast, I can't believe it's been three years. My three years here have been good, overall, I don't regret coming to Wolfsburg one bit, they have been some good years. Of course, like it is in football, there have been ups and downs, as a team and for me personally, but overall they have been some great years, and I feel really good and happy to be here."

bundesliga.com: Let’s look at the season so far, you’re only four points off fourth - what do you make of 2024/25 so far?

Wind: "We got off to a tough start, we played some of the best teams in the league, and that's what we're doing at the moment too, so it's not easy. After the first five games of the season we went on a good run and had a lot of wins, and we’re now in the fight for the European spots. It's really tight in the league, four points up to, I don't know if it's Champions League at the moment, but it's really close, one or two games. If you can put a run together with three wins in a row, it looks good, so there are good opportunities to finish the season strongly and hopefully be in a European spot."

Watch: The best of Jonas Wind in the Bundesliga

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Jonas Older

Wind

VfL Wolfsburg

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bundesliga.com: Looking back at the last three games, you have played well but haven’t won any. The consistency is missing, why is that?

Wind: "It's a good question, but for sure we have missed out on some points, especially against [Holstein] Kiel. That's a tough one to take, because we played well in the second half and scored two quick goals; we had to just kill the game off. Unfortunately we couldn't, then Kiel scored, and it was two points dropped. Against [Eintracht] Frankfurt, we had the lead until 10 minutes to go, and we need to be better in finishing off those games, score the second goal, and then it's over. We need to be a bit more consistent, like you say, in the way we play and finish off the games, and we would have had more points. We just have to look forward now and get as many as possible."

bundesliga.com: What do you need to do to play in Europe next year?

Wind: "That will be tough, there are a lot of good teams. It’s about being consistent, having a good run in the league and collecting some victories, collecting some points, and then we'll see how it is at the end. When we are in front in the games, then we need to be better at going for the second goals and killing the game off instead of dropping back trying to defend the lead. For sure, to play in Europe, we have to finish the season strongly, but I think we have the possibility to do so."

bundesliga.com: Looking at your season from a personal point of view, you’ve only started seven of the last 18 games, not enough to meet your ambitions, right?

Wind: "Yes, for sure, it’s not a secret that I would have wanted to play more from the start and be in the starting 11 more. I think I have done my part to show that I should be there. I don't really like to talk about stats, but when you look at the games I have started and the amount of goals and assists I have had, it looks pretty decent for me. I want to be in the starting 11 every time, but the coach has thought differently in some games. I try to accept it, I'm not saying I agree with it, but it is how it is. For sure it's been tough, but if you look at it goals- and assists-wise, then it's been pretty good."

bundesliga.com: Like you say: on the other hand, a good season with eight goals and three assists so far?

Wind: "Yes, for sure, when you look at stats, goals and assists, then it looks good. I have to continue, there are still a lot of games left to play and hopefully I can help the team by scoring even more goals and getting more assists."

Wind has scored 30 goals in his first 90 Bundesliga appearances, with last season's haul of 11 his best yet. - IMAGO/Christian Schroedter

bundesliga.com: Is there anything you’re not satisfied with, and anything you still want to improve?

Wind: "It’s a bit all round. I try to become better at almost everything every day, try to adjust some things, but it's not like I have just one main focus that I want to work on, it's a bit of everything. I’m always trying to stay sharp and become even better, so it's all round improvement."

bundesliga.com: Looking at your goals and assists, what was your highlight?

Wind: "I have to think through them all. The assist for Joakim Maehle against Gladbach here at home. That was a great assist, one of the better ones of my career. That was a nice one, if we’re talking about assists. Goals, I haven't scored a crazy goal, maybe I'm forgetting something, maybe you can tell me. There haven't been any crazy goals, so I'll talk about the assist; that's been the best one so far."

bundesliga.com: It looks on social media like you are a real team in the dressing room, you look like a real pack of wolves! Is that the case?

Wind: "Really good, I must say. For me, I have only been in Copenhagen and here in Wolfsburg, but from what the other guys tell me, it's rare that you have a connection like this as a team, also off the pitch. We are a lot of good guys, we want the best for each other, it's a good healthy environment, because we want to push each other, but it’s with a good mindset and a smile on our faces. We have a lot of good guys so it's a pleasure to be here. That helps the team, because we want to fight for each other and enjoy each other's success, so that's a big advantage for us."

bundesliga.com: You have a special goal celebration with your teammates, what is it all about?

Wind: "The 'W', I also did it in Copenhagen, it started with my nephew, my brother’s kid, who did this and said I should do it. There are also some pictures in Copenhagen where we did it together. I then didn't do it for some time, then my niece, my brother’s daughter, told me that I forgot about it and I have to do it again, and now it has become a thing. I do it after every goal, if I remember it, and sometimes my teammates join in as well, it's just nice."

bundesliga.com: Mohammed Amoura, Tiago Tomás, and you are Wolfsburg’s top scorers with 21 goals all together, what’s your secret?

Wind: "We have different qualities, and that’s good on the pitch, we don't all have the same style of play, and that makes it difficult for opponents, for defenders. You have me as the taller one who can drop and set up the quicker guys like Tiago and Mohammed. That's the main way we are different, and we do well together on the pitch."

bundesliga.com: Jens Stage [NB: Jens Stage plays for Werder Bremen], Joakim Mæhle and you are in a WhatsApp group together, tell us about what goes on there.

Wind: "Not that much to be honest, Jens is a good friend of mine, we played together in Copenhagen and sometimes the national team. Same with Joakim, the national team for a lot of years, and the last couple of years in Wolfsburg. It’s always fun to meet the Danish guys in the league and Jens, especially, is one of my good friends here in the Bundesliga."

bundesliga.com: Will Andreas Skov Olsen and Mads Roerslev also be added?

Wind: "Maybe, but we also have our own group. It’s a funny story with Mads, I have played with him since I was 12 or 13 in Copenhagen, and Andy, I played with him for a lot of years in the youth national team and also the senior national team. It's a lot of fun that he's in Wolfsburg with me."

bundesliga.com: Andreas and Mads are your friends, you played together for the Danish youth team, describe them to us, and explain how they can help Wolfsburg...

Wind: "If we start with Mads, he has played 100 Premier League games, I think, that shows his quality, for sure. He's a really consistent player, you know what you get from him: every time he steps on the pitch he's consistent, and defensively a really good player. Andy, Andreas, his left foot is amazing, I'm sure he will score a lot of goals here, cutting inside and putting the ball into the far corner. He has a lot of qualities, especially offensively with both feet, crossing and shooting. He will do a lot of good things for Wolfsburg, I'm sure. Off the pitch they are good guys, they are funny guys, it’s nice to have them."

bundesliga.com: Does it mean more fun and a higher quality of life for you, to have them here?

Wind: "Yes, for sure. It's nice to have even more Danish guys. I've known these two for so many years, so it's natural that we see each other off the pitch. Andreas’s girlfriend has also been at mine a few times, with Andreas and Mads, and we've cooked dinner. It's nice to have them here, and we’ll have some good times, for sure."

Wind (l.) is part of a growing contingent of Danish players at Wolfsburg, including Joakim Mæhle (r.). - Getty Images

bundesliga.com: How do you spend your free time?

Wind: "We maybe go to a cafe sometimes, eat a bit, drink a coffee. We spend time at my home sometimes, watching TV, eating dinner together, talking, having fun, and playing games, it's good."

bundesliga.com: You celebrated your 26th birthday on Friday, how did you celebrate and who with?

Wind: "Yes, I think the older you get then you don't really look forward to it as much as when you were a kid. I feel a bit old now I’m 26, it feels like yesterday when I was a big talent in Copenhagen, but it is what it is. I'd rather turn 26 than not, of course. It’s all good, my family will come, and some friends too, so we will have a good time, hopefully celebrating a win after Saturday, and have a good dinner."

bundesliga.com: The Superbowl is on Sunday in New Orleans, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. Who is going to win?

Wind: "I hope the Philadelphia Eagles win, because the Chiefs have won a bit too much, I think, so I hope the Eagles win, but to be honest, I think the Chiefs will win it. Mahomes is a top player, and a clutch player too, so they will probably win it if I have to be honest."

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