Wolfsburg are out of the Bundesliga after 29 uninterrupted seasons in Germany’s top flight. Their fate was sealed by a 2-1 extra-time loss at SC Paderborn 07 after a goalless first leg at home. They finished 16th with 29 points, a goal difference of -24, seven wins, eight draws and 19 defeats.
How Paderborn sealed promotion
Paderborn did not stumble into this. They won eight matches in a row from September to November 2025/26, then added a 10-match unbeaten run in the spring. That form carried them into the play-off and, after beating Wolfsburg, back into the Bundesliga for the first time since 2019/20.
Denis Seimen's nine clean sheets are part of the picture too, even if the bigger story is the way SC Paderborn 07 kept their season moving when others might have drifted. Ralf Kettemann's side have earned the promotion, and the play-off win was the final step.
Wolfsburg's place in the club's recent history
The drop feels sharper because Wolfsburg have not been a club of only one era. They won the Bundesliga title in 2009, when Grafite and Edin Džeko scored a combined 54 goals, a record that still stands. They also reached the Champions League quarter-finals in 2015/16 and faced Real Madrid.
That history does not soften the present, but it explains why this relegation lands heavily. Kevin De Bruyne, Bas Dost and the title-winning side belong to a different chapter, one that now sits a long way from a season that ended with 16th place and a play-off defeat.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
