Despite an emphatic 4-1 win over TSV Havelse in a friendly, tensions are rising at VfL Wolfsburg. Captain Maximilian Arnold openly voiced his frustration after the game over his current bit-part role under new Wolves coach Tobias Strobl.
Across six competitive matches, the 32-year-old midfield veteran has managed just 182 minutes on the pitch. Arnold, who has been at Wolfsburg since 2009, had expected to be eased back in after a lengthy injury lay-off, but his current role on the bench goes well beyond anything he had envisaged.
"I'm simply not happy with the situation. To put it plainly: 0.0 happy. That's not my standard," the midfielder made unmistakably clear. Arnold had expected some early difficulties after the long enforced break, but "still not like this", as he stressed: "I wasn't expecting this."
GettyMaximilian Arnold criticises bit-part role at VfL Wolfsburg
By going public, Arnold appears to be pushing for a swift change. The veteran remains convinced of the value he brings to the side: "I bring added value to the team. And I hope the coach sees that as quickly as possible as well."
Should Strobl continue to see it differently, the Wolfsburg stalwart is already hinting at consequences. Asked what would follow if he continues to be overlooked, the Wolfsburg captain replied tellingly: "Then we'll see what happens."
Pre-season, Wolfsburg had been seen as the number one favourites for promotion because of their multi-million signings. Right now, they are only fourth with 11 points from six matches.