VfL Wolfsburg: Director in the USA. Shepherd from Atlanta took it with him | Sports

Schaeffer from Atlanta took it with him

“It’s about sharing knowledge. You gain good experience and you get interesting insights into other sports. You also get insight into the topic of leadership in big companies outside of professional sports.”

The positive side: a better exchange between club managers. Schaefer: “It is also important that you have time to exchange ideas intensively with your colleagues in the Bundesliga. You do not have that time when you play. This also brings the league together a bit.”

The program was dense and informative. Schaeffer: “You take a lot of ideas and impressions that you keep in the back of your head. For example in the fields of scouting and medical care, but above all digitization was a big topic. We visited all the professional clubs in Atlanta. Atlanta Hawks of the NBA, Atlanta The Braves of the MLB and the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL.”

Schaefer’s vision: “The teams behind the teams are getting bigger. The teams of coaches and supervisors are getting wider and more specialized. There are definitely things that can be done in the Bundesliga. Not only do you need experts in every position on the pitch, but also around your team.”

But the Wolfsburg manager also knows: “The big difference is that there is no promotion or relegation in the professional leagues in the United States. Clubs can really take their time and build something in two or three years. Ten years. Which is of course more interesting to viewers.”