Wolfsburg with praise for Zesiger: "He's adapted amazingly fast."
Striker Jonas Wind and his Danish compatriot Joakim Maehle have been the two players most commonly referenced when discussing VfL Wolfsburg's perfect start to the 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign.
Thomas Hiete of Germany's preeminent footballing publication wished to ensure that a certain unsung hero wasn't forgotten in an article published on Kicker Magazine's website.
Amid all of the talk surrounding Micky van de Ven's high-profile departure from Germany's green company team this summer, there hasn't been much discussion about the fact that Wolfsburg's first summer signing has slotted into central defense without missing a beat. Twenty-five-year-old Swiss international Cedric Zesiger - a left-footed center back just like van de Ven - has started in both Wolfsburg victories this season and earned high marks in the German press.
Thomas Hiete of Germany's preeminent footballing publication wished to ensure that a certain unsung hero wasn't forgotten in an article published on Kicker Magazine's website.
Thomas Hiete of Germany's Kicker Magazine put together a piece on the former Young Boys Bern defender for an article appearing on the magazine's website Monday evening. Zesiger has harmonized well with fellow starter Maxence Lacroix. Wolfsburg's €5 million signing seems to, in Hiete's words, leave no one at the club thinking about their €50 million departure. Zesiger's wears van de Ven's #5 jersey and is off to a great start.
"You can't replace a player like Micky on a like-for-like basis," Zesiger is quoted as saying in Hiete's article, "I have my own strengths, defensively we do well as a team. We fight for every ball. There's still room for improvement from me on the attacking end of things. I'm not completely satisfied."
Hiete also quotes VfL sporting director Sebastian Schindzielorz in his piece. Zesiger was in fact Schindzielorz's first signing after taking over the sporting director position from Marcel Schäfer - himself elevated to the sporting CEO position following Jörg Schmadtke's departure - in February.
"Zesi has adapted amazingly well and fast to this league," Schindzielorz is quoted as saying, "From the very first day, he gut stuck in an focused on integration. We are glad to have got him so early because players with this profile are not so easy to find."