Kicker reports that VfL Wolfsburg have finally found a new sporting director. Eintracht Frankfurt director of professional football Pirmin Schwegler is the man who will take the place of the recently sacked Sebastian Schindzielorz. Schwegler will work with current Wolfsburg managing director Peter Christiansen to help strengthen the squad during the January transfer window. Wolfsburg are currently 15th place in the Bundesliga table.
Since sacking Schindzielorz nearly a month ago, Wolfsburg have failed in their attempts to recruit current active sporting directors Andreas Schicker (Hoffenheim) and Marcus Mann (Hannover 96). The Lower Saxon Autostädter remain without a head coach since parting company with Paul Simonis just prior to the firing of Schindzielorz.
Interim head coach Daniel Bauer has been leading the team for the last three league fixtures. After losing against Bayer Leverkusen and drawing Eintracht Frankfurt, Bauer actually led Wolfsburg to a surprise 3-1 home win over Union Berlin last weekend. Schwegler and Christiansen may consider retaining Bauer if he can keep picking up points in the final two fixtures before the winter break.
Is Pirim Schwegler a solid hire?
Schwegler is actually highly regarded by those who cover German football administrative politics. The former Swiss international spent the bulk of his playing career in Germany at Eintracht, Leverkusen, Hoffenheim, and Hannover. After retiring, he worked as Bayern Munich’s chief scout and Hoffenheim’s licensing director.
Eintracht board-member-for-sport Markus Krösche recruited him to Eintracht to serve as professional football director on the occasion of his own promotion from sporting director last January. Schwegler is the third personnel executive in the SGE chain-of-command behind Krösche and sporting director Timmo Hardung.
The 38-year-old served as Bayern’s chief scout for well over two years between 2021 and 2023. He worked as Hoffenheim’s licensing and later footballing director for 19 months between 2023 and 2024. Schwegler brings with him quite the pedigree and is a very experienced new hire.
