Wolfsburg Fanzone: Getting to know the Auto City Wolves
Located in northern Germany and famed for its automobile manufacturing, Wolfsburg has also risen to prominence over the past few decades thanks to the city's football team.
History
VfL Wolfsburg was founded on 12 September 1945 as a 'Verein für Leibesübungen' (Club for physical activity) – hence the 'VfL' preceding the official club name. With everything in short supply after the end of World War II, the team's colours were determined largely by chance when a local youth welfare worker, Bernward Elberskirch, came across 10 green tops in his hunt for football shirts to use. The Wolves still wear green to this day.
Wolfsburg spent their early years in Germany's regional divisions and Bundesliga 2 before finally earning promotion to the top flight in 1997, where they have remained ever since – despite a couple of relegation play-off scares. The greatest triumph in the club's history arrived in the 2008/09 season when Felix Magath surprisingly led a side spearheaded by Edin Dzeko and Grafite to the Bundesliga title. The next piece of silverware followed in 2015, when a Kevin De Bruyne-inspired team came from behind to beat Borussia Dortmund in the DFB Cup final. That qualified them for the DFL Supercup, where Nicklas Bendtner scored an 89th-minute equaliser and then the winning penalty in the shootout against Bayern Munich. After only surviving the drop via the play-offs in 2016/17 and 2017/18, the Wolves recovered in two seasons under Oliver Glasner, finishing fourth in 2020/21 to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for only the third time.
Honours
Bundesliga (2009)
DFB Cup (2015)
DFL Supercup (2015)
Coach
The new man for the 2021/22 season is former Bayern captain and hard hitter Mark van Bommel, taking over from Glasner after he joined Eintracht Frankfurt on the back of sixth and fourth-placed finishes. A two-time winner of the domestic double in Germany with the Bavarians, the Dutchman has frequently served as assistant to father-in-law and former Dortmund head coach Bert van Marwijk during his spells in charge of Saudi Arabia, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. The 44-year-old’s only previous job as head coach was at former club PSV Eindhoven, finishing just three points off champions Ajax in his sole full season in charge. The 2009/10 Champions League runner-up will guide the Wolves into their first campaign back in the competition since 2015/16.
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Star man
Wolfsburg’s defence built around John Brooks and Maxence Lacroix was the second-meanest in the Bundesliga in 2020/21, but the leader of the pack in recent years has been striker Wout Weghorst. The Dutch international has goal hauls of 17, 16 and 20 in his three seasons with the Wolves, as well as boasting a team-leading eight assists to go with those 20 in the campaign just gone as he propelled VfL into the top four and Champions League.
Watch: The best of Weghorst in the Bundesliga
Last season
The good times were back at Wolfsburg in 2020/21. The second season under Glasner saw them build on their sixth-place finish to break into the top four and qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2015. The Wolves boasted the second-tightest defence in the league with 37 goals conceded and reached March with only two defeats – against Bayern and Dortmund.
The stadium
Having well and truly established themselves in the Bundesliga at the end of the 1990s, Wolfsburg commissioned construction of the Volkswagen Arena in 2001. It was officially opened a year later with a capacity of 30,000 (22,000 seating, 8,000 standing).
No detail was overlooked in its design, with the home changing room including massage rooms, saunas, showers and a revitalisation pool. For greater sustainability, the stadium has 216 energy-efficient LED floodlights and a hybrid grass pitch, while there are places for 650 bicycles outside for environmentally friendly fans.
Watch: Inside the Volkswagen Arena
The city
No visit to Wolfsburg would be complete without a visit to the Autostadt, an homage to the car manufacturing industry that has become synonymous with the city. For any motor heads not sated by that, there is also the Volkswagen Auto Museum, which houses a collection of the brand's classic cars.
The Science Center Phaeno is a brilliant way to pass an afternoon, with countless shows and hands-on exhibits on a range of subjects to keep young and old entertained. Alternatively, the Allerpark – a 130-hectare public park – is an ideal day out, offering activities including football, volleyball, water skiing, mini-golf and camping. Handily, it is only a 15-minute walk from the Volkswagen Arena.
Getting there
There is no airport in Wolfsburg and although nearby Braunschweig (just 15 miles away) has one, it does not offer commercial flights. For international visitors, that means booking a flight to and from Hanover, roughly 55 miles to the west.
The city also lies between the capital Berlin and the populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia, meaning frequent high-speed train services pass through Wolfsburg and provide easy transfers from major airports and transport hubs.
Getting to the Volkswagen Arena
If coming by car from the east or west, take the A2 until exit number 58 (Wolfsburg/Königslutter) and take the A39 towards Wolfsburg/Flechtorf. Follow that road until exit 3 Wolfsburg-West and follow signs to Wolfsburg (L321/Heinrich-Nordhoff-Str), coming off at Berliner Brücke/L322.
If coming from the south on the A7 motorway, take exit 64 at Dreieck Salzgitter and merge onto A39 towards Berlin/Braunschweig/Salzgitter. Follow that road until exit 3 Wolfsburg-West and follow signs to Wolfsburg (L321/Heinrich-Nordhoff-Str), coming off at Berliner Brücke/L322.
If arriving on public transport, note that season tickets are valid for travel on local busses and trains up to four hours before kick-off and for up to three hours after full time. A number of special busses run on matchdays (lines 251-256) – just look for 'Volkswagen Arena' as the destination. Alternatively, the stadium is within walking distance of the city centre. Simply follow the throngs of people making the short 15-minute trip on foot!
Buying tickets
Tickets can still be bought via the official club website HERE.
Can’t make it? Watch here:
If you can’t make it to the stadium, Bundesliga matches are broadcast around the world. ESPN provides coverage in the United States, while BT Sports are the exclusive broadcaster in the United Kingdom. In Germany, Sky Sports show the majority of matches, with DAZN hosting one match per week.
Buy the kit
You can get your own Wolfsburg jersey from the official club shop.
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