Martin Schmidt quits as Wolfsburg coach
February 19, 2018
Martin Schmidt has quit as coach of relegation-threatened Wolfsburg with 11 games in the Bundesliga remaining.
The Volkswagen-backed club says it accepted Schmidt's resignation on Monday "after an intensive and contentious discussion" and it "expressly regrets" his decision.
Schmidt told managing director Tim Schumacher, sporting director Olaf Rebbe, and the supervisory board of his decision, said he has left to allow Wolfsburg to "improve the sporting situation through a new impulse from the coaching bench and to remove the ever increasing pressure from the club and himself personally."
Wolfsburg left baffled
Schumacher tells the club website, "We were all totally convinced that we would turn the tide together. This move from Martin Schmidt was surprising and unforeseeable, especially as we do not fully understand all his reasons."
Schmidt took over on September 18 last year after Wolfsburg fired his predecessor Andries Jonker. Schmidt lost only five of his 19 Bundesliga games, but 11 ended in draws, and Wolfsburg won only three league games with him in charge.
Schmidt's last game was an encouraging 2-1 defeat at home to runaway league leader Bayern Munich on Saturday, a loss that left the side just one point ahead of Schmidt's former side, Mainz, in the relegation playoff place. The sides meet in a high-stakes clash on Friday.
Wolfsburg says team training is postponed until Tuesday, and the person to lead the club will be announced soon.