VfL Wolfsburg have the second-youngest squad in the Bundesliga and could get a little younger this weekend: 17-year-old Bennit Bröger is now part of the Bundesliga squad of Lower Saxony
The start was complicated for Ralph Hasenhüttl. The new coach of VfL Wolfsburg took up his post while countless players were away with their national teams around the globe. The Austrian replenished his training squad with young players, one of whom stood out in particular: Bennit Bröger, 17 years old and therefore even younger in VfL’s U19 squad.
The attacking midfielder made a brilliant impression. “Even at the risk of you writing him off as bigger than he perhaps is,” Hasenhüttl emphasized with the necessary caution: “Bennit will always be with us in the future.” And on Saturday against Werder Bremen, he may already be in the Wolfsburg squad.
The training of their own talents is important to Wolfsburg, but the transfer rate to the professional squad has been very limited in the past; after Maximilian Arnold and Robin Knoche (now at Union Berlin), no one has established themselves permanently
Is there now a change of course under Hasenhüttl? “Anyone who has followed my history knows that I have been very happy to give players from my own ranks the chance to play in the first team,” emphasized the 56-year-old. “It’s something I really enjoy doing because I think you should benefit from investing money and time in these players. “
“Quick feet”: How Hasenhüttl describes youngster Bröger
Players like Bröger, who comes from the neighboring city of Braunschweig and has come through all of VfL’s youth teams. He has “quick feet”, says Hasenhüttl. “He has great solutions on the ball, and we now know how important such players are in attack, and not just because of the German national team.” Players “who are difficult to tackle, who simply have good movement and can free themselves from the tightest of spaces. He showed that quite well in the first week.”
Hasenhüttl has started his stint at VfL with an open mind, his first impressions are crucial for the Bremen game. And that’s where Bröger scored. “I brought him in straight away because he’s done very well over the last week and a half. And when someone shows up like that in training, he has to get the chance to play with us straight away. And he will get it. It’s quite possible that he’ll even be in the squad at the weekend. “
“We have some outstanding youth players here “
The talents can hope. With Dzenan Pejcinovic and Kofi Amoako, other U-19 players have already received minutes of action this season, and 17-year-old Bröger could be the next. Hasenhüttl: “At Southampton, I was probably the coach who gave the young players the chance to step up the most. We have some outstanding youth players here, we should see them and they should be seen. And if they take the chance, if they’re with us, they should get the chance to play. “
Wait and see with Casteels – Majer is also injured
In Bremen, some of the internationals are likely to be at a disadvantage because they haven’t really had a chance to show what they can do under the new coach. “It will generally still be a bit difficult for the players who came in late,” announced Hasenhüttl. “Those who have already been here will have an advantage. Because I’ll have a lot of them with me who I’ve already worked with for a week and a half. I have to use this advantage.”
And wait and see on personnel matters: keeper Koen Casteels (shoulder) is doubtful and Lovro Majer (calf) has also returned from the Croatian national team with an injury. A potential replacement for the playmaker has emerged: Youngster Bröger.