Michael Frontzeck has been appointed the interim head coach of Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.

The 57-year-old is stepping up from his role as assistant to Mark van Bommel, who was sacked on Sunday following an eight-match winless run in all competitions.

Frontzeck, who was most recently in charge of Kaiserslautern until December 2018, will be supported by assistant coach Vincent Heilmann. Kevin Hofland and Alex Abresh have not been retained, however.

The new appointment comes after Van Bommel was dismissed following the 2-0 Bundesliga defeat to Freiburg, Wolfsburg's fourth successive loss in all competitions.

They are ninth in the German top flight, with 13 points from nine matches, and bottom of Champions League group G after three games.

Despite their form, Van Bommel believed he was the right man to turn things around for the club.

"I'm surprised and disappointed by the decision because I'm certain that we would have managed to get back on track together," he said. "I hope the team manage to turn things around quickly."

Frontzeck's first game in charge will be against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.

Wolfsburg made Bundesliga history on Sunday after Mark van Bommel's table-topping side preserved their perfect start to the season with a 1-0 win over RB Leipzig.

Jerome Roussillon scored the only goal of the match as leaders Wolfsburg made it three victories from three games – the only team with a 100 per cent record heading into the international break.

Wolfsburg have collected nine points from their opening three games of a Bundesliga campaign for the first time.

They also ended the day top of the table for the first time since winning the title in 2008-09 (minimum three games played).

"It is always nice to win," former PSV head coach Van Bommel, who was appointed ahead of the campaign, told reporters. "Especially, to do so three games in a row.

"We are the only team in the Bundesliga that has done that at the moment. Anyone can beat anyone. The quality is just very high. Leipzig could have taken a draw or even won. It was very close. Therefore, it was a top game, a proper top game which is decided by details.

"Today we had the advantage. But in two weeks we will travel to Furth and then we start from the beginning again. Bayern [Munich] will do so as well, but not only Bayern. Everyone is behind us. The situation can quickly change.

"We have to be realistic. It is nice to have nine points, it means we are working well. But it is not guaranteed that it will continue this way and no guarantee that we will win every game."

Wolfsburg have been thrown out of the DFB-Pokal for making too many substitutions in a first-round win over Preussen Munster.

The sports court of the German Football Association (DFB) delivered their verdict on Monday, declaring Munster as 2-0 victors after Wolfsburg.

The fourth-tier side lodged their initial complaint a day after a 3-1 defeat to the Bundesliga team on August 8, stating that Mark van Bommel had sent on six substitutes instead of the allocated five.

Van Bommel brought on Admir Mehmedi for Maximilian Phillip in extra-time, with the match officials and Wolfsburg seemingly unaware he had already made five changes.

Announcing the sports court's decision on Monday, deputy chairman Stephan Oberholz commented: "The clubs are responsible for substitutions. One of their basic obligations is to find out about substitution options and to act accordingly.

"VfL Wolfsburg has a duty against this violated and thus frivolously and avoidably committed the central error in the inadmissible sixth substitution process.

"The club cannot invoke exonerating negligence on the part of the referee team. It can remain unanswered whether the fourth official advised those responsible at the club incorrectly or provided inaccurate information during the exchange process.

"Even if one assumes such wrong information, the main initial error is to be blamed on the club, so that any joint responsibility of the referee resigns completely."

Wolfsburg's sporting managing director Jorg Schmadtke joked after the error that those involved would be enrolled on a "basic reading course" but the 2015 DFB-Pokal winners are expected to submit a further appeal after Monday's verdict.

Schmadtke's main query centres around the match officials, who Wolfsburg claim were asked several times for clarification on the substitution quota.

In contrast, Munster's sporting director Peter Niemeyer, who took part in the DFB's hearing, said after the announcement: "We are of course very happy that the sports court ruled in our favour. Far be it from us to speak of winners or losers here. 

"In an exceptional situation, a game-influencing mistake was made, which has now been subsequently corrected. 

"We are of course happy for our team, which surpassed itself in the first round of the cup, for our fans and the whole environment, which can look forward to another highlight in the Prussian Stadium."

Munster are set to go into the second-round draw on August 25, with the subsequent tie set to take place on October 26-27.

Mark van Bommel has been appointed as the new Wolfsburg head coach on a two-year contract.

 

Wolfsburg finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season, Glasner's second at the club, to reach the Champions League group stage for the third time in their history, and first occasion since 2015-16.

Van Bommel's only previous managerial job came when he spent 18 months with PSV between 2018 and 2019.

He has also worked in support of Bert van Marwijk, his father-in-law, holding assistant roles with Netherlands, Australia, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates at international level.

Van Bommel spent five years of his playing career in the Bundesliga with Bayern, with whom he won two top-flight titles.

Van Bommel told his new club's website: "I'm really looking forward to working for Wolfsburg and I'm excited about my new environment, the people and the task that awaits me.

"The ideas of those responsible are identical to my view and I can identify very well with the path the club has taken.

"Being able to work as a coach in the Bundesliga, in which I have played for so long, is a great honour and challenge for me, which I will tackle together with everyone involved with a lot of joy and great commitment."

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