Former VfL Wolfsburg managing director Marcel Schäfer will join RB Leipzig on 1 August 2024. The two clubs came to an agreement to terminate Schäfer’s VfL contract as of 31 July 2024, with the terms of that deal not being made public.
Beginning in 2007, Marcel Schäfer was first a player for the Wolves, then sporting director and most recently managing director for sport. “The 17 years in total that I spent at VfL Wolfsburg had a real impact on me, as a sportsman, a manager and first and foremost as a person,” said Schäfer. “My family and I laid down roots in Wolfsburg, and I experienced every facet of football at the club in various capacities, from winning the league to fighting against relegation. Throughout the years, I got to know so many incredible people. I would sincerely like to express my gratitude for this very special period and I will always feel a connection with the city, with Volkswagen and with VfL and its fantastic fans. I gradually began to realise that the best solution for both me and for the club would be fresh impetus. As such, I am looking forward to the new challenge and at the same time would like to wish the entire VfL family all the very best.”
“We would like to thank Marcel for the wonderful time during which we worked together, which unfortunately came to an end earlier than we would have liked,” said chairman of the VfL supervisory board Frank Witter. “Marcel made his mark on VfL over a long period and continues to be a highly valued person within the club. He will always be part of the VfL family and we wish him every success, both personally and professionally.”
Born in Aschaffenburg in Bavaria, Schäfer joined VfL from TSV 1860 München, and over the years grew to the status of Wolfsburg icon, winning the Bundesliga title in 2009 and the DFB Cup in 2015 with the Green-and-Whites. Now aged 40, the left-back made a total of 312 appearances (with 16 goals and 51 assists) for the Wolves up until 2017, 256 of them in the Bundesliga, making him the club record-holder in the top flight. During his time at VfL, he won eight caps for Germany.
He retired from football after a spell in the USA with Tampa Bay Rowdies, and returned to Wolfsburg in 2018 as sporting director. In February 2023, he took on the role of managing director for sport at VfL, before being relieved of his duties in April 2024.