VFL Wolfsburg Claim First Ever German Title

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Bayern Foiled on Historic Day

May 23

VFL Wolfsburg won their first ever German league title after hammering UEFA Cup finalists Werder Bremen 5-1 on the last day of the season.

Goals from Zvjezdan Misimovic, two from Grafite, an own goal by Proedl and a fifth from Edin Dzeko ensured that Diego’s lone strike for Bremen wasn’t going to deprive the the Lower Saxony side of their historic triumph. Managed by former German international Felix Magath, the side had begun the day two points ahead of Magath’s former club Bayern Munich. The Bavarian giants finished second second gaining automatic entry to the Champions League, after a 2-1 win over rivals VFB Stuttgart, who finished third.

Magath who will leave Wolfsburg to coach Gelsenkirchen outfit Schalke04 next season, was jubilant. He told German TV station Premiere,

“It is a dream come true. Before the season started I never thought we had a chance to win the championship. It is hard to be leaving now, obviously. I am not quite dry. We were in the locker room and there was quite a bit of champagne flying through the air.”

It was the first trophy in the club’s history.

Arminia Bielefeld and Karlsruhe were relegated while Energie Cottbus will play a relegation play-off with the side that finishes third in the second division (Zweiteliga). SC Freiburg will be promoted as Zweiteliga Champions. FSV Mainz 05 will join them as long as they don’t lose at home to Rot Weiss Oberhausen tomorrow. 1FC Nürnberg are likely to be the side facing Energie Cottbus in the play-off to be in the Bundesliga next season.