This post is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which features unique perspectives from our FLW Fan Pundits on the most recent breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings, and more…
Southampton technical director Johannes Spors is reportedly being pursued by German club VfL Wolfsburg.
Wolfsburg confirmed that sporting director Sebastian Schindzielorz had been removed of his duties during the international break, along with manager Paul Simonis.
According to Kicker, the club has contacted Spors about the vacant position, although no official conversations have yet commenced.
Southampton are starting to pick up following a slow start to the season, and Saints Fan Pundit Martin Sanders feels the club must keep Spors and put an end to the conveyor belt behind the scenes at St Mary’s.
Wolfsburg targets Southampton director Johannes Spors, according to a recent claim.
“We need stability,” Martin stated when questioned about Spors’ future.
“It would be best if he stayed. We keep moving through people on the sporting side of the club, going back to Joe Shields, who was only here for five minutes before leaving for Chelsea. Jason Wilcox arrived and went to Manchester United. Rasmus Ankersen made a meal of it, and Johannes Spors is now doing the same. “You can’t keep chopping and changing at any club,” Martin explained.
Wolfsburg sits 15th in the Bundesliga rankings, with both manager Paul Simonis and sporting director Sebastian Schindzielorz leaving during the international break. The Wolves have continued to struggle after their European push failed under former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl last season.
The Volkswagen Group has poured money into the club in recent years, with little to no results to show. Spors is now one of several possibilities to lead the club in a new direction, alongside Hannover 96’s Marcus Mann, who could make the move to Lower Saxony.
While Southampton started the season poorly, Tonda Eckert’s recent form has totally changed the tone around the club, with other summer acquisitions beginning to shine at St Mary’s.
“A few weeks ago, some were criticizing Spors’ signings. Now that you look at them: Scienza, Fellows, Azaz, and Jander, who are all improving, it may not be as horrible as everyone believes.” Martin concluded.
A return home could be enticing for Johannes Spors; Southampton would miss him.
Everyone linked with Southampton this season has been assigned a single task: return the club to the Premier League.
After a sluggish start to the season under Will Still, the Saints are on fire, with four wins in a row, including comfortable victories over Charlton and Leicester.
There has been a notable German influence on the club’s recovery. Tonda Eckert, interim manager, has been joined by Caspar Jander and Brazilian winger Leo Scienza, the latter coming from Bundesliga club Heidenheim. Both have played important parts in the team’s recent improvement, as have Finn Azaz and Tom Fellows, who were brought in under the same recruitment directive.
Spors graduated from Heidelberg University in 2007 and worked as an analyst at local club TSG Hoffenheim before moving to RB Leipzig as a scout in 2015. He went on to work for giants Hamburg in 2018 before taking on several opportunities abroad.
The opportunity to return home and play a key role at Wolfsburg could be appealing.
When measuring Wolfsburg’s pull, more background is required. Volkswagen owns them, and they are one of two Bundesliga clubs exempt from the 50+1 regulation, which mandates member/supporter majority ownership of football clubs, thus prohibiting outside investment from unrelated parties.
Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen were granted exemptions because of their history and significance.
While the club has not won any silverware since winning the DFB-Pokal in 2015 and the Bundesliga in 2009, it remains an enticing project. The Wolves have the financial resources of Volkswagen, which few teams in the league can match.
This might be an appealing proposition for Spors, who will have the opportunity to lead one of Germany’s most financially secure teams into a new age.
He has only recently arrived on the South Coast, but his signing has proven to be fantastic in recent weeks, and for a club looking for stability after several turbulent years, Spors is someone Southampton will not want to lose at any cost.
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