Immediately after losing the Bundesliga home game against Hamburger SV (1:2), a highly explosive relegation mood spread at VfL Wolfsburg. After the final whistle, a pack of players formed on the pitch and Wolfsburg’s substitute goalkeeper Marius Müller was shown a red card. Pyrotechnics were ignited in the Wolfsburg fan block, and some flares also flew towards the square.

“It was absolutely not a nice moment. Everyone who sticks with VfL Wolfsburg is frustrated,” said captain Maximilian Arnold on DAZN. The midfielder revealed that it wasn’t nice in the dressing room: “I don’t think anyone is sleeping today because it hurts a lot.” During his Sky interview, Arnold was disturbed by heckling from the stands.

“Things happened that were definitely below the belt,” said HSV coach Merlin Polzin on DAZN about the scenes immediately after the game: “Of course that’s never nice.” German football thrives on emotionality, “if you are dissatisfied with the performance that is being shown, then maybe it will erupt at some point,” said Polzin: “But of course I still hope that VfL will recover.”

Those responsible in Wolfsburg initially did not comment on the events on television. Unlike usual, Polzin was supposed to answer journalists’ questions alone at the press conference – without Wolfsburg coach Daniel Bauer, who is about to be replaced after the sixth defeat in the last seven games. The Wolfsburg team wanted to hold a separate press conference. Arnold revealed that the coach had spoken words to the team in the dressing room: “The words stay with us.”