Danny Rohl exit route at Rangers surely closed off after scenes at Wolfsburg
Danny Rohl’s Rangers exit route is now surely closed off, with German side VfL Wolfsburg relegated on Monday.
The Rangers boss had been linked with a move to the Autostadt in recent weeks, with the Wolves struggling at the bottom end of the Bundesliga.
This came at a time when his Ibrox future was under the spotlight, with a run of four successive defeats blowing his side out of title contention.
Chairman Andrew Cavanagh has made it known that the former Sheffield Wednesday hero will be staying at Rangers for the coming year, but it has not stopped links between himself and a return to Germany.
Now, Rohl’s exit route is surely closed, leaving him with a lot to prove as the Gers look to mount a serious title charge next season.
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Wolfsburg make history with shock relegation
It has been a dismal season for Wolfsburg, who were dragged into a relegation battle, with big changes going on behind the scenes.
Dieter Hecking’s side would put on a late surge to make the promotion/relegation playoff, where they would face Paderborn, who finished the season sitting third in the 2. Bundesliga.
| Season | Bundesliga team (16th) | 2. Bundesliga team (3rd) | Aggregate score | Outcome |
| 2018-19 | VfB Stuttgart | Union Berlin | 2-2 (Union won on away goals) | Union Berlin promoted |
| 2019-20 | Werder Bremen | 1. FC Heidenheim | 2-2 (Bremen won on away goals) | Werder Bremen stayed up |
| 2020-21 | 1. FC Köln | Holstein Kiel | 5-2 | 1. FC Köln stayed up |
| 2021-22 | Hertha BSC | Hamburger SV | 2-1 | Hertha BSC stayed up |
| 2022-23 | VfB Stuttgart | Hamburger SV | 6-1 | VfB Stuttgart stayed up |
| 2023-24 | VfL Bochum | Fortuna Düsseldorf | 3-3 (Bochum won on penalties) | VfL Bochum stayed up |
| 2024-25 | 1. FC Heidenheim | SV Elversberg | 4-3 | 1. FC Heidenheim stayed up |
| 2025-26 | VfL Wolfsburg | SC Paderborn | 1-2 aet | SC Paderborn promoted |
Typically, the first-tier side carries the advantage in the playoff.
Even with this in mind, Wolfsburg fell to a 2–1 defeat in the second leg against Paderborn on Monday. The Wolves took an early lead but struggled after Joakim Maehle was sent off in just the 14th minute.
After a poor year, even survival specialist Hecking, who won the DFB-Pokal with Wolfsburg in 2015, could not guide the club to safety, as they became the first top-flight side since Stuttgart in 2019 to lose out in the playoff.
Rohl had been linked with a move to Wolfsburg, with the Niedersachsen club in desperate need of a rebuild.
However, that path now appears to be closed off, leaving him with a lot to prove at Ibrox.
Danny Rohl can consider himself fortunate
Given Rangers’ stature in the game, it is only natural that success is an expectation for any manager coming through the door.
The run towards the end of the season may have been a sackable offence for coaches in yesteryear, potentially leaving Rohl feeling lucky that he is still in post after four straight defeats before the final-day win against Falkirk.
Had his side started the season badly, it would surely not be long before links resurface between himself and a Germany return – he is now left without a place to land should the worst happen.
Heading into the coming year, there is a lot of heavy lifting for Rohl to do, if he is going to convince the Rangers faithful that he is the man to lead the club forward.
The run to the end was bitterly disappointing, and it has left a lot of pressure on his shoulders to succeed.
But, it is not just success he requires, but instant success, with the Gers desperate for a first title in over half a decade next term.
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