Sven Mislintat didn’t want to know anything about mechanisms customary in the industry – despite the severe setback. After the 0: 5 at Borussia Dortmund, the sports director of VfB Stuttgart showed a rather unusual reaction in professional football. Contrary to expectations, he demonstratively backed interim coach Michael Wimmer and asked for more time in the search for a successor to Pellegrino Matarazzo.
“Michael Wimmer will remain coach of VfB Stuttgart until the winter break. We made a relatively conscious decision to continue with Michi until this game and we can also say very clearly that it will last until the winter break,” announced Mislintat on Sky.
Wimmer, who was informed of this decision in the dressing room by Mislintat, seemed surprised and appeared combative: “Of course you’re happy about the vote of confidence. We know what needs to be done and will show a different face against Augsburg.” Even a longer stay of the supposed interim solution does not seem impossible. En passant, Mislintat declared the 42-year-old one of the three candidates for the head coach position. Wimmer found the “right trigger points” in the team, he commented, referring to the two previous encouraging performances against Bochum (4-1) and Bielefeld (6-0).
This means that Wimmer, who was born in Dingolfing in Bavaria, will remain responsible for the four remaining Bundesliga games against Augsburg, Mönchengladbach, Hertha BSC and Leverkusen before the start of the World Cup. A decision should only be made after the 15th matchday. “We will conduct the talks very cleanly and with the necessary time for a top decision. Michi will then be one of three candidates. The extent of the defeat does not change our rating,” said Mislintat.
However, the sports director left it open who the two alleged top candidates should be. Most recently, the clubless Dane Jess Thorup and Alfred Schreuder from Ajax Amsterdam were traded. But Schreuder had recently declared that he was not interested in a job at VfB.
VfB tweet about Wimmer Mislintat statements on VfB homepage
