Wolfsburg boss declines to back under-fire coach Simonis after Bremen defeat

Paul Simonis’ future as VfL Wolfsburg coach is hanging by a thread after Die Wölfe fell 2-1 to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Friday evening, suffering their seventh defeat in their last eight competitive matches.

Speaking after the game, sporting director Sebastian Schindzielorz declined to give a clear vote of confidence for the under-pressure Dutch coach.

“Right after the game, I find it hard to make a statement. I ask for understanding that I don’t want to say much about it right now,” said Schindzielorz in a post-match interview.

“The fact is, we expected much more of ourselves than what we showed – today in the second half, but also in recent weeks. Accordingly, the criticism is justified, and we have to face it.”

Simonis appeared dejected after Samuel Mbangula’s late winner sealed defeat for Wolfsburg in stoppage time.

“This is perhaps the toughest defeat of my career,” the 40-year-old told Sky.

“I know nothing about my future – that’s not my decision. I always focus on my work. We’ll see.”

As for the performance, Simonis admitted his side got what they deserved after a poor second half in which they squandered their 1-0 lead.

“We didn’t have the power anymore to defend aggressively,” he said, noting that his team was pushed further and further back as the game wore on.

“The second half was very bad from us. We didn’t deserve anything more after that.”