Benaglio on Wolfsburg’s search for a new sporting managing director: “Most of the qualified ones are employed somewhere”

Diego Benaglio has spoken about VfL Wolfsburg's challenging search for a new sporting managing director.

Photo by Cathrin Mueller/Bongarts/Getty Images

It’s been nearly two months since VfL Wolfsburg sacked Peter Christiansen as managing director for sport, but the club have yet to appoint his successor.

Supervisory board member Diego Benaglio, who is leading the process alongside chairman Sebastian Rudolph, has now provided an update, confirming that “good discussions” are underway, but stressing that finding the right candidate is more important than making a quick appointment.

“It is important for us to find the right person. It doesn’t help if we just act quickly to resolve the situation. We want the right candidate, and we are taking the time for that. But of course, we are not averse to things being settled a few days earlier,” Benaglio told Kicker.

He also revealed that Wolfsburg are considering several candidates currently employed by other clubs.

“There are certainly candidates who already have a contract. It is very rare in this position to find many unemployed people on the market. By nature, most of the qualified ones are employed somewhere,” he admitted.

With Wolfsburg currently sitting in the relegation play-off spot, it remains unclear whether the club will be playing Bundesliga or 2. Bundesliga football next season.

For Benaglio, however, the right candidate must be willing to commit regardless of the division Die Wölfe are in.

“A candidate who from the outset signals that he is only interested in the Bundesliga would, for me, be the wrong candidate,” he stressed.

“If someone clearly signals that they are stalling because they want to know first whether we'll be in the Bundesliga, that would be a criterion against them.”