Why Florian Kohfeldt is an astute gamble
October 30, 2021
Leverkusen 0-2 Wolfsburg, BayArena
(Nmecha 48', Arnold 51')
Given how his tenure with Werder Bremen ended, winning on his coaching debut for Wolfsburg must have been extra satisfying for Florian Kohfeldt.
Winless in his last 10 games as Bremen coach, Kohfeldt celebrated a victory over Leverkusen that came courtesy of two goals within six minutes of the restart.
Dodi Lukebakio picked out Lukas Nmecha for the first and Maxi Arnold hammered in a long rebound for the second. Goalkeeper Koen Casteels capped off the encouraging display by denying Lucas Alario from the spot with the last kick of the game.
The result was well-earned for Wolfsburg. While the system was more conservative from Kohfeldt, a fiery 39-year-old coach with an attacking football style, his side was astute and aggressive, capitalizing on Leverkusen's mistakes.
"He wanted us to focus on the basics and bring intensity from the start, and deploy it tactically and cleverly, not just run back and forth," Nmecha said after the game.
Recruiting a coach that most recently couldn't stop Bremen falling to it's second-ever relegation was a risky move for Wolfsburg. But given Kohfeldt's previous success, it might end up being an astute gamble that pays off.
Who is Florian Kohfeldt?
After growing up half an hour drive from the Weserstadion, Kohfeldt spent two decades at Werder Bremen, including 15 years as a coach. He was appointed as head coach of the first team in 2017 after the club sacked Viktor Skripnik, under whom Kohfeldt was an assistant for many years.
Then 35, Kohfeldt's passionate coaching style and ability to work with Bremen's younger players helped him enjoy early success. He also instituted a possession-based system that the club hadn't seen since Mesut Özil and Per Mertesacker were wearing the green and white.
Kohfeldt earned the German FA's coaching prize in 2018 after his first season, and in his second term led Bremen to an eighth-place finish in 2018-19 — accolades which earned him a big contract extension until 2023.
But his meteoric rise was followed quickly by a precipitous drop. After barely surviving in the Bundesliga in 2019-20, Kohfeldt's Bremen lost seven straight league games last season, the worst stretch in club history. He was sacked before the final game of the campaign, and Bremen was automatically relegated soon after.
Later, club legend and chairman Klaus Filbry criticized Kohfeldt's over-offensive approach, but the young coach wasn't helped by the departure of Max Kruse.
Kruse was the club's best playmaker during Kohfeldt's glory days and was never replaced. Kohfeldt also struggled to overcome the aging of key dressing room figures such as Philipp Bargfrede and Nuri Sahin.
Can he get Wolfsburg back on track?
Despite his shortcomings with Bremen, Kohfeldt could fit in well with what Wolfsburg is trying to build.
The possession-based style his predecessor, Mark Van Bommel, tried to institute was unsuccessful, but a deliberate departure from the conservative, counterattacking style played under Oliver Glasner. After five straight losses entering Saturday's contest, Wolfsburg needed to try something new.
Unlike Van Bommel, Kohfeldt makes practical adjustments to his side when he sees areas that need to improve. Though he likes his midfielders to drift wide and have his forwards play a variety of roles, he has tightened his formation up when facing superior opponents.
Saturday's win over Leverkusen, who seems to be a clear top-four contender this season, is a perfect example as Kohfeldt implemented a radical switch from a four-man to a three-man defense to congest the center of the park.
"I wanted to put as many players as possible in positions where they feel most comfortable," Kohfeldt said of the tactical switch. "That was the best system for the players to do what we wanted them to do."
Kohfeldt's ability to work with young players could also benefit Wolfsburg. The Bundesliga club is counting on German talents such as Nmecha, Ridle Baku and Luca Waldschmidt to continue their development.
The new coaching arrangement is a gamble for both Wolfsburg and Kohfeldt — should he fall short again, it may be longer until he gets another coaching opportunity, if at all. If Kohfeldt gets it right, Wolfsburg will be back in Europe and the reputation of this young, German coach will be restored.