Dieter Hecking will take his VfL Wolfsburg side to the Home Deluxe Arena on Monday at 20.30 Uhr for the relegation second leg against SC Paderborn after the two teams drew 0:0 in the first meeting — a result that leaves Wolfsburg needing a victory in Paderborn to remain in the Bundesliga.
The stakes are concrete: the match is sold out with 15,000 spectators and an away section of 1,513 fans, Felix Zwayer will referee, and Wolfsburg’s coaching future could be decided by the final whistle. Media reports say the game could be Hecking’s last as coach; the club is said to be discussing moving the 61-year-old into another role, while Dietmar Kühbauer has been named among candidates to take over.
Hecking, who only returned to the Wolfsburg job in mid‑March, reminded reporters this weekend that he has tried to keep perspective. He said he had spent time at the Landesgartenschau and did not watch the German Cup final in Berlin because he was with his children and grandchildren and had even opened the swimming‑pool season with his family. He added that the squad worked lightly on Saturday and that, though they wanted a final, they must treat this match like any other — and that they still have every possibility to stay up.
For Paderborn, coach Ralf Kettemann framed the night as one built on momentum from the season and fan energy. He praised what supporters have planned for the home game, saying the atmosphere has evolved over the season and that the team will take that push into the match. Kettemann also noted that following the 0:0 in Wolfsburg his side had demonstrated passion, team spirit and will — and warned that Wolfsburg’s recent form, when they were playing like a top‑eight side, makes the task more difficult.
The familiar names and dates underline how much is at stake. Wolfsburg are former Bundesliga champions, having taken the title in 2009, and won the DFB‑Pokal in 2015 under Hecking. Those achievements contrast sharply with the present danger: the club is fighting to avoid its first-ever relegation from the top flight, and Hecking’s contract is expiring.
Practical details will matter on match night. Paderborn will be without Jonah Sticker, who is suspended after a yellow‑red card, while Mika Baur returns from his suspension. The club has organised a fan march and team‑bus reception plans to feed the Home Deluxe Arena atmosphere, and organisers report certain timing around the event with fans already gathering 90 minutes before kickoff.
The tension is not just about the scoreboard. Wolfsburg’s hierarchy is said to be weighing internal options for keeping Hecking within the club in some capacity even if they appoint a new head coach — a move that, if it happens, would crystallise the end of Hecking’s short spell in the dugout since mid‑March and begin a new chapter for the club’s management. At the same time, Kettemann warned his players they must find ways to be more on the ball and create more chances if they are to unsettle a side that has played at a higher level for much of the season.
Monday’s night will finish within roughly 30 minutes after the end of play; whatever the result, it will come against the backdrop of a sold‑out arena and the scrutiny that follows a club accustomed to trophies. Wolfsburg need a win to stay in the Bundesliga. For Hecking, who reminds everyone he has tried to live a life beyond a single game, the result will determine whether he remains the club’s coach for the immediate future or is shifted to another role as reported — and whether Dietmar Kühbauer or another name takes over the sideline in a season that has already rewritten expectations for both clubs.
