Wolfsburg appoint former head coach Dieter Hecking as new Managing Director Sport
From the beginning of June, 61-year-old Dieter Hecking will relinquish his coaching duties at Wolfsburg to become the club’s new Managing Director Sport, taking on a central role in the rebuild that will be undertaken by the Wolves following their relegation from the Bundesliga, the club has confirmed.
The post had been vacant at Wolfsburg since Peter Christiansen, who had occupied the role since July 2024, was dismissed back in March. Now, the Wolves have opted for an internal solution to fill the vacancy, with Hecking to take on the position as the club looks to restructure and plan for the upcoming 2026/27 season, which they will spend - for the first time in 29 years - outside the top flight in Bundesliga 2, following their relegation play-off defeat to Paderborn. The 61-year-old has signed a deal which runs until 2028.
“We’re delighted that Dieter Hecking will remain part of the VfL family. In Wolfsburg, he stands for team spirit and a strong identification with the club,” emphasised Sebastian Rudolph, chairman of Wolfsburg's supervisory board.
Watch: Paderborn beat Wolfsburg in relegation play-off
“Dieter Hecking knows Bundesliga 2 and the demands it brings. He has exactly the right qualities for the role of Managing Director Sport. Together with Pirmin Schwegler and the team behind him, he will seamlessly continue the trusting and productive collaboration that has already been established," he added.
Hecking himself explained: “The trust and appreciation shown to me by the club, the supervisory board and especially Diego Benaglio and Pirmin Schwegler mean a great deal to me. My first consideration was whether I wanted to continue working as a coach or saw my future in a management role."
The 61-year-old continued: "Having made that decision with complete conviction, I’m now very much looking forward to the major task ahead of us, even though it will bring many challenges. I’ll be completely honest: relegation is still weighing on me. What’s important now is to create a positive atmosphere around the club as quickly as possible so that together we can approach the challenge of Bundesliga 2 with the right mix of humility, courage and conviction."
Born in the Ruhr region, Hecking was at the helm between 2013 and 2016 in what was one of the most successful periods in Wolfsburg’s history. He led the Wolves to DFB Cup glory in 2015, in addition to a runners-up finish in the Bundesliga and victory in the Supercup. That same year, he was named Coach of the Year.
Before making his return to Wolfsburg in March 2026, Hecking has also enjoyed spells as head coach of Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hamburg and Bochum. The role of sporting director is also not new for him, with Hecking having previously served in the same position at Nuremberg between 2020 and 2024 - a team where he had also been head coach on a permanent basis between 2009 and 2012, and as an interim from February 2023 up until the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
