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Revision as of 13:19, 8 July 2008
| logo | |||
| Full name | VfL Wolfsburg-Fußball GmbH | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Die Wölfe (The Wolves) | ||
| Founded | 1945 | ||
| Ground | Volkswagen-Arena Wolfsburg | ||
| Capacity | 30,000 | ||
| Chairman | Hans-Dieter Pötsch | ||
| Manager |  Felix Magath | ||
| League | Bundesliga | ||
| 2007/08 | Bundesliga, 5th | ||
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VfL Wolfsburg is a German sports club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony and is best known for its football club which currently plays in the country's first division Bundesliga.
History
A new team in a new city
The city of Wolfsburg was founded in 1938 as Stadt des KdF-Wagen to house autoworkers building the car which would later become famous as the Volkswagen Beetle. The first football club affiliated with the autoworks was known as BSG Volkswagenwerk Stadt des KdF-Wagen. This team played in the first division Gauliga Osthannover in the 1943-44 and 1944-45 seasons.
On September 12 1945, in the aftermath of World War II, a new club was formed and was known briefly as VSK Wolfsburg. This side began play in the green and white still worn by VfL today: local youth trainer Bernd Elberskirch had ten green jerseys at his disposal and white bed sheets donated by the public were sewn together by local women to make shorts.
On December 15 1945, the club went through a crisis that almost ended its existence when all but one of its players left to join 1. FC Wolfsburg. The only player remaining, Josef Meyer, worked with Willi Hilbert to rebuild the side by signing new players. Within a year this new group, now playing as VfL Wolfsburg, had captured the local Gifhorn title. In late November 1946, the club played a friendly against longtime powerhouse Schalke 04 at the stadium owned by the Volkswagen, emerging as the successor to BSG as the company sponsored side.
Postwar play
The club made slow but steady progress in the following seasons. They captured a number of amateur level championships, but were unable to advance out of the promotion playoffs until finally breaking through to the top tier Oberliga Nord in 1954 with a 2:1 victory over Heider SV. However, Wolfsburg struggled in the top flight, narrowly missing relegation each season until finally being sent down in 1959. When Germany's first professional football league – the Bundesliga – was formed in 1963, VfL was playing in the Regionalliga Nord (II) having just moved up from the Verbandesliga Niedersachsen (III).
Second division and advance to the Bundesliga
Wolfsburg remained a second division fixture over the next dozen years with their best performance being a second place finish in 1970. That finish earned the club entry to the promotion round playoffs for the Bundesliga where they performed poorly and were unable to advance. From the mid-70's through to the early 90's Die Wölfe played as a third division side in the Amateur Oberliga Nord. Consecutive first place finishes in 1991 and 1992, followed by success in the promotion playoffs saw the club advance to the 2.Bundesliga for the 1992-93 season.
VfL continued to enjoy some success through the 90's. The team advanced to the final of the German Cup in 1995 where they were beaten 0:3 by Borussia Mönchengladbach, but then went on to the top flight on the strength of a second place league finish in 1997.
Early predictions were that the club would immediately be sent back down, but instead, the Wolves developed into a mid-table Bundesliga side. They qualified for the Intertoto Cup in 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2004, enjoying their best run in 2003 by reaching the final where they lost to Italian side AC Perugia. Recently, there was little success for the club, with two 15th place finishes only narrowly avoiding relegation. For the 2007-08 season the club hired former Bayern Munich manager Felix Magath, with whom they managed to finish an astonishing 5th place at the end of the season and for the second time in the club's history, qualify for the UEFA cup.
Stadium
Wolfsburg play at the Volkswagen Arena Stadium, which seats a total capacity of 30,000 spectators.
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Players out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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For recent transfers, see List of German football transfers summer 2008.
Notable Former Players
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External links
- Template:En icon Template:De icon Official site
- Abseits Guide to German Soccer
- Template:De icon VFL Wolfsburg Forums
- Template:De icon VFL Wolfsburg Fansite
- Template:En icon VfL Wolfsburg statistics
- Template:En icon VfL Wolfsburg formations at football-lineups
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