Norwich City have announced a third game on their pre-season trip to Germany, with the Canaries taking on Vfl Wolfsburg on Thursday, July 19th.
City had already announced two friendlies on the German trip, against Paderborn on Sunday July 15th and against FC Union Berlin on Tuesday July 17th.
Paderborn, is of course, Daniel Farke’s home town club and it will be a quick return for Dennis Srbeny, who was signed from Paderborn just last January but it will be the trip to Bundesliga Wolfsburg that will provide the most interest for City fans.
Wolfsburg are a Bundesliga side who narrowly avoided relegation last season, being forced to take part in a relegation/promotion play off with Bundesliga 2 side, Holstein Kiel, who they comfortably beat over two legs. Coincidentally, Norwich target, Marvin Ducksch starred for Holsten Kiel last season with 18 goals in 33 appearances while on loan from St. Pauli.
Wolfsburg are also Timm Klose’s old club, with the big man joining the Canaries in 2016 for a reported fee of £8m.
Wolfsburg are kind of a big deal in Germany and are based in Wolfsburg, which is in Northern Germany, around 85 miles from Hamburg. They famously grew out of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers and are naturally most famous for the football club being owned by Volkswagen. They were founded at the end of the second world war.
They may have almost been relegated last season but they actually won the Bundesliga in 2008-09 under ex-Fulham manager, Felix Magath.
Several notable players you may have heard of are Jakub Blaszczykowski, Jeffrey Bruma and last season they had Liverpool’s Divock Origi on loan.
Compared to other friendlies in recent years, I think it’s fair to say that this is a step up in class and should give us a decent idea of where we’re at.
OTBC