Junior Malanda had made 17 Bundesliga appearances for VfL Wolfsburg after joining from SV Zulte Waregem
Junior Malanda had made 17 Bundesliga appearances for VfL Wolfsburg after joining from SV Zulte Waregem

Bundesliga mourns the passing of Junior Malanda

xwhatsappmailcopy-link

Wolfsburg - The Bundesliga is mourning the passing of VfL Wolfsburg midfielder Junior Malanda, who died after being involved in a car crash on Saturday afternoon at the age of 20.

The team's planned departure to South Africa as part of their winter preparations has been postponed for the time being. Several fans have gathered outside the club's Volkswagen Arena to mourn the loss of the talented Belgian Under-21 international.

Christian Seifert, DFL CEO, offered his sympathies of behalf of the Bundesliga: “We are gravely saddened by this tragic news and our thoughts are with VfL Wolfsburg for their loss. We extend our deepest sympathies to his relatives and team-mates."

"We are distraught and can simply not find the words to express our bewilderment," said Wolfsburg's sporting director Klaus Allofs. "We all loved him dearly. He was the positive spirit within the team and a young man full of the joys of life. In addition, Junior was an excellent footballer, merely at the beginning of his development. We cannot believe that he is no longer with us. Our thoughts at this dreadful time are with his family and relatives."