Wolfsburg in danger of Bundesliga relegation and irrelevancy

"VfL Wolfsburg first ascended to the Oberhaus (first division) in 1997 and have since then become an established part of the furniture. Only Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen have occupied places in the Bundesliga continuously for longer than die Wölfe (the Wolves)."

"Wolfsburg famously won the league in 2009 under Felix Magath at a time when star men Edin Dzeko and Grafite lit up Germany. In 2015, they lifted the DFB-Pokal for the first time in their history. As recently as 2016, they stood on the verge of eliminating Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals."

"The following season, Wolfsburg slipped to 16th in the table and only secured the Klassenverbleib (staying in the league) thanks to a two-legged win in a nervy relegation duel with local rivals Eintracht Braunschweig. A collective sigh of relief was heaved on the shore of the Mittellandkanal, but there has been a sense ever since that Wolfsburg are some sort of no man's land club."

Wolfsburg, Germany's automobile city, has built its identity around Volkswagen and car manufacturing. VfL Wolfsburg established itself in the Bundesliga in 1997 and became one of Germany's most consistent top-flight clubs, surpassed only by Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayer Leverkusen in longevity. The club achieved significant success, winning the Bundesliga in 2009 under Felix Magath and the DFB-Pokal in 2015. However, their trajectory shifted dramatically after nearly eliminating Real Madrid in the 2016 Champions League quarterfinals. The following season saw them relegated to 16th place, narrowly avoiding relegation through a playoff victory. Since then, Wolfsburg has occupied an uncertain position in German football, struggling to maintain relevance despite occasional Champions League appearances under managers like Oliver Glasner.

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