VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg have appointed Martin Schmidt as their new head coach just hours after the club announced it had parted ways with Andries Jonker. The 50-year-old Swiss coach signed a contract binding him to the Bundesliga club until 2019.
Schmidt will be bringing along his coaching staff of assistant coach Stefan Sartori, goalkeeper coach Andreas Hilfiker, endurance trainer Stephan Kerth and rehabilitation specialist Michele Putaro.
“We are delighted to have won over Martin Schmidt for VfL Wolfsburg in such a short space of time. He’s the right man for the task that lies ahead of us,” stated VfL manager Dr. Tim Schumacher in an official statement on the club website.
Sporting Director Olaf Rebbe said: “I’d like to thank Martin Schmidt for agreeing to take over at such short notice. We are convinced that, with his experience and strengths, he will fit right in at VfL.”
Martin Schmidt, who spent spent seven years with Bundesliga rivals 1. FSV Mainz 05, told: “I had too and couldn’t take too long to accept the head-coach job at VfL. Only a few hours passed between our initial contact and signing the contract. It’s no great secret that VfL approached me a few months ago, but I turned down the offer then out of respect and loyalty to Mainz 05. I am really looking forward to this challenge, although we don’t have much time as we have two important games on the schedule.”
Schmidt will take charge of the Wolves final pre-match training session on Monday afternoon ahead of their Bundesliga match against SV Werder Bremen on Tuesday.