Arnold blames Wolfsburg for Budesliga relegation
Wolfsburg captain Maximilian Arnold insists his club's relegation from the Bundesliga was not down to bad luck, but rather its own doing.
After finishing 16th in the league this season, Wolfsburg lost its two-legged play-off tie against Paderborn as and was relegated from the top-flight for the first time in 29 years.
Wolfsburg won its relegation play-off matches after being in the same position in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, but could not repeat that feat in 2025-2026.
Arnold, who missed the last four games and the relegation play-off through injury, believes Wolves' inability to hold on to leads proved to be too costly in the end.
"You can always earn your luck,” Arnold told the Behind The Athletes podcast.
"We dropped 33 points after taking the lead. These are the parameters that indicate we simply didn't have the stability to prevail in such situations.
"We let many games slip away in the last 15 or 20 minutes, so fitness was also an issue.
"And when you've lost your fifth game in the last 10 or 15 minutes, you're always looking at the clock.
"When wave after wave of attacks is coming your way, you look at the clock and say: ‘Wow, s***! The clock just isn't moving.’"
