# VfL Wolfsburg

> association football club from Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany

**Wikidata**: [Q101859](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q101859)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VfL_Wolfsburg)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/vfl-wolfsburg

## Summary
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded on September 12, 1945, the club is owned by the Volkswagen Group and plays its home matches at the Volkswagen Arena. It operates as a distinct enterprise and includes a women's association football section.

## Key Facts
- **Entity Type**: Association football club, Enterprise.
- **Location**: Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.
- **Inception**: September 12, 1945 (as VfL Wolfsburg); January 16, 2001 (as VfL Wolfsburg Fussball GmbH).
- **Ownership**: Volkswagen Group (100% ownership since November 28, 2007).
- **Home Venue**: Volkswagen Arena (preferred venue); VfL-Stadion am Elsterweg (used until 2002).
- **Official Color**: Green.
- **Sponsor**: Volkswagen Group.
- **Industry**: Sports industry.
- **Headquarters**: Wolfsburg.
- **Social Media**: Verified Twitter (@VfL_Wolfsburg) with over 293,000 followers (as of Feb 2023); YouTube channel (1661 subscribers, 39,300 views as of Dec 2020).
- **Identifiers**: GND ID (10038893-0), VIAF ID (133469255), UEFA Team ID (64332), Transfermarkt Team ID (82).
- **Coaches**: Historical head coaches include Martin Schmidt, Bruno Labbadia, Oliver Glasner, Mark van Bommel, Florian Kohfeldt, Niko Kovač, and Ralph Hasenhüttl. Dieter Hecking is listed as the current head coach starting March 8, 2026.
- **Memberships**: Member of Bundesverband E-Commerce und Versandhandel Deutschland.
- **Nominations**: Nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year in 2010.

## FAQs
**What are the different names and aliases for VfL Wolfsburg?**
The club is known by several names and aliases, including Wolfsburg, Die Wölfe, The Wolves, VFL Wolfsburg, FC Wolfsburgo, Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg, Wolfsburgo FC, Eintracht Wolfsburg, VfLボルフスブルク, 沃夫斯堡, 禾夫斯堡足球會, 禾夫斯堡, 狼堡, Вольсбург, Вфл вольфсбург, ФК Вольфсбург, Wolfsburgo, نادي فولسبورغ, and 볼프스부르크.

**Where does VfL Wolfsburg play its home matches?**
The club's preferred home venue is the Volkswagen Arena. Historically, the team played at the VfL-Stadion am Elsterweg until 2002.

**Who owns VfL Wolfsburg?**
VfL Wolfsburg is owned by the Volkswagen Group, which holds 100% ownership. The company also serves as the club's sponsor.

**What is the history of VfL Wolfsburg's head coaches?**
The club has had several head coaches, including Martin Schmidt (2017–2018), Bruno Labbadia (2018–2019), Oliver Glasner (2019–2021), Mark van Bommel (2021), Florian Kohfeldt (2021–2022), Niko Kovač (2022–2024), and Ralph Hasenhüttl (2024–2025). Daniel Bauer served as a caretaker manager at various points.

**What digital platforms and identifiers are associated with VfL Wolfsburg?**
The club maintains a presence on various platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and YouTube. It has identifiers in databases such as Soccerbase (ID 2967), UEFA (ID 64332), Transfermarkt (ID 82), and Baidu Tieba (Name: 沃尔夫斯堡).

## Why It Matters
VfL Wolfsburg serves as a prominent example of the close relationship between sports clubs and corporate ownership in Germany, being wholly owned by the Volkswagen Group. This ownership structure has facilitated the development of modern infrastructure, such as the Volkswagen Arena, and positioned the club as a significant entity in the sports industry. The club's recognition extends beyond domestic borders, evidenced by its nomination for the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year in 2010 and its extensive Wikipedia presence in over 70 languages. Its operation as both a sports club and an enterprise highlights the commercial evolution of modern football.

## Notable For
- Being wholly owned by the Volkswagen Group, a unique structure in German football.
- Playing in the Bundesliga since 1997.
- Being nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year in 2010.
- Maintaining a distinct organizational separation, having separated from the broader VfL Wolfsburg sports club entity.
- Operating a successful women's association football section.
- Having a strong digital footprint with verified accounts across Twitter, Weibo, and YouTube.
- Being featured in association football video games.

## Body

### Overview and Identity
VfL Wolfsburg is an association football club and enterprise based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The club competes in association football and utilizes green as its official color. It is known by numerous aliases internationally, including "Die Wölfe" (The Wolves), "Wolfsburg," and "VFL Wolfsburg." The club's logo is accessible via Wikimedia Commons, and it is categorized under "VfL Wolfsburg" on Wikimedia Commons.

### History and Inception
The club's origins trace back to September 12, 1945, with the founding of VfL Wolfsburg. A significant organizational restructuring occurred on January 16, 2001, marking the inception of the "VfL Wolfsburg Fussball GmbH" entity. The club separated from the larger VfL Wolfsburg organization at a later stage. The club has competed in the Bundesliga (identified by the Q82595 league identifier) starting in 1997.

### Ownership and Corporate Structure
VfL Wolfsburg operates within the sports industry and is distinctively owned by the Volkswagen Group. The ownership is total, with a 100% stake held by the group since November 28, 2007. Volkswagen Group also serves as the club's primary sponsor. The club is a member of the Bundesverband E-Commerce und Versandhandel Deutschland (Federal Association of E-Commerce and Mail Order Germany).

### Venues
The club's primary and preferred home venue is the Volkswagen Arena. Previously, the team utilized the VfL-Stadion am Elsterweg as its home ground, a relationship that ended in 2002.

### Coaching History
The club has employed a series of head coaches with specific tenures:
- **Martin Schmidt**: Sept 18, 2017 – Feb 19, 2018.
- **Bruno Labbadia**: Feb 20, 2018 – June 30, 2019.
- **Oliver Glasner**: July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2021.
- **Mark van Bommel**: July 1, 2021 – Oct 24, 2021.
- **Florian Kohfeldt**: Oct 26, 2021 – May 15, 2022.
- **Niko Kovač**: July 1, 2022 – March 17, 2024.
- **Ralph Hasenhüttl**: March 17, 2024 – May 4, 2025.
- **Daniel Bauer**: Served as caretaker manager (May 4, 2025 – June 30, 2025) and again starting Nov 9, 2025.
- **Paul Simonis**: July 1, 2025 – Nov 9, 2025.
- **Dieter Hecking**: Appointed head coach starting March 8, 2026.

### Digital Presence and Social Media
VfL Wolfsburg maintains a robust digital footprint across multiple platforms:
- **Twitter**: Handle @VfL_Wolfsburg (verified), created on Aug 20, 2008. Follower counts include 285,587 (Jan 2021), 288,007 (Jan 2022), and 293,703 (Feb 2023).
- **YouTube**: Channel ID UCfdfDFNp50xLjAjD0TKOa4g, created Feb 26, 2010. As of Dec 11, 2020, it had 1,661 subscribers and 39,300 views. Later statistics show growth to 99,000 subscribers by Sept 2025.
- **Facebook**: Handle vflwolfsburgfussball.
- **Instagram**: Handle vfl.wolfsburg.
- **TikTok**: Handle vflwolfsburg.
- **Threads**: Handle vfl.wolfsburg.
- **Weibo**: User ID vflwolfsburg, verified as "沃尔夫斯堡足球俱乐部".

### Identifiers and Classifications
The club is cataloged in numerous databases and registries:
- **GND ID**: 10038893-0 (preferred, for VfL Wolfsburg Fussball GmbH) and 4488304-3.
- **VIAF ID**: 133469255.
- **UEFA Team ID**: 64332.
- **Transfermarkt Team ID**: 82.
- **Soccerbase Team ID**: 2967.
- **Freebase ID**: /m/049f05.
- **BabelNet ID**: 00262595n.
- **BBC Things ID**: 6abc4a67-af36-4abb-8ec2-669e3575e547.
- **IMDb ID**: nm10744052.
- **Wikidata Description**: Association football club from Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.

### International and Cultural Reach
The club's Wikipedia entry is available in over 70 languages, including Afrikaans, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bengali, Catalan, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese, among others. It has a presence on Quora (Topic: VfL-Wolfsburg), Zhihu (Topic ID: 20046178), and Baidu Tieba (Name: 沃尔夫斯堡). The club is also featured in the Fandom wiki under "football:VfL_Wolfsburg" and has a Niconicopedia ID "vflヴォルフスブルク".

### Organizational Components
The club includes a women's association football section as a distinct part of its organization. It is named after the broader VfL Wolfsburg entity. The club has been nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year (2010).

## References

1. Transfermarkt
2. worldfootball.net
3. [Source](https://www.transfermarkt.com/-/mitarbeiterhistorie/verein/82/)
4. [Source](https://www.ga-eagles.nl/paul-simonis-vertrekt-naar-vfl-wolfsburg/)
5. [Source](https://www.vfl-wolfsburg.de/en/newsdetails/news-detail/detail/news/daniel-bauer-to-remain-as-head-coach)
6. [Source](https://www.vfl-wolfsburg.de/newsdetails/news-detail/detail/news/dieter-hecking-uebernimmt)
7. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
8. BBC Things
9. Quora
10. YouTube API