Wolfsburg run out of gas as uncertainty of VW funding leaves cloud over future

May 23 – The German top-flight team owned by Volkswagen face relegation for the first time in 20 years as the carmaker continues to suffer from the fallout of the emissions scandal.

VfL Wolfsburg are a 100% subsidiary of the global manufacturer and would probably not exist without its financial support.

But a 2-1 loss on Saturday to Hamburg SV means Wolfsburg face a two-legged relegation playoff against local rivals Eintracht Braunschweig to determine their fate.

A VW spokesman on Monday declined to discuss the implications of relegation in terms of the carmaker’s future sponsoring policy.

Only two years ago VfL Wolfsburg won the German Cup and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League but their fortunes have dipped since.

After the emissions scandal erupted in September 2015, VW halted plans for a new €40 million youth training centre but it continues to subsidise VfL Wolfsburg at a cost of about €90 million per season, according to Reuters.

Ironically Eintracht Braunschweig are sponsored by VW’s Spanish division Seat, adding extra spice to an already eagerly awaited derby.

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