• Former England manager signs two-year deal in Germany
• McClaren was in demand after leading FC Twente to Dutch title
* guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 11 May 2010 11.25 BST
* Article history
Steve McClaren has been appointed the new manager of Wolfsburg. Photograph: Vincent Jannik/EPA
Steve McClaren has been confirmed as the new coach of the Bundesliga club Wolfsburg after holding successful contract talks at the weekend.
McClaren, who led FC Twente to the Dutch title in the recently-completed Eredivisie season, has signed a two-year deal with the 2009 German title winners. Wolfsburg have endured a disappointing season, finishing eighth, 20 points behind the champions Bayern Munich.
The move represents a major step in the rehabilitation of McClaren's reputation after his torrid spell in charge of England.
McClaren began his managerial career at Middlesbrough in 2001 after serving as deputy to Jim Smith at Derby County and then to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He had a tough start to life on Teesside, losing his first four games, but by the time he left five years later he had brought the club their first major trophy, the 2004 Carling Cup, their highest Premier League finish – seventh – and taken them to the 2006 Uefa Cup final.
A 4-0 defeat by Sevilla in Eindhoven in that final was his last game in charge before taking the England job as successor to Sven-Goran Eriksson in August 2006.
However, his reign lasted just 18 games and after a 3-2 Wembley defeat by Croatia ended England's hopes of reaching the finals of Euro 2008, he was relieved of his duties having famously been dubbed "the wally with the brolly".
McClaren was handed a chance to rebuild his career by Twente the following June having been advised by the late Sir Bobby Robson to gain experience abroad as he did, and has quietly and impressively done just that. Wolfsburg were not his only suitors in recent weeks.
At Wolfsburg he will have the chance to work with the likes of Grafite and Edin Dzeko, whose goals took the Wolves to the 2009 title.
The coach Felix Magath moved on to Schalke immediately after that triumph and was replaced by Armin Veh, who was sacked in January because of Wolfsburg's disappointing form. Lorenz-Gunther Kostner had been in charge since then in an interim capacity.
• McClaren was in demand after leading FC Twente to Dutch title
* guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 11 May 2010 11.25 BST
* Article history
Steve McClaren has been appointed the new manager of Wolfsburg. Photograph: Vincent Jannik/EPA
Steve McClaren has been confirmed as the new coach of the Bundesliga club Wolfsburg after holding successful contract talks at the weekend.
McClaren, who led FC Twente to the Dutch title in the recently-completed Eredivisie season, has signed a two-year deal with the 2009 German title winners. Wolfsburg have endured a disappointing season, finishing eighth, 20 points behind the champions Bayern Munich.
The move represents a major step in the rehabilitation of McClaren's reputation after his torrid spell in charge of England.
McClaren began his managerial career at Middlesbrough in 2001 after serving as deputy to Jim Smith at Derby County and then to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He had a tough start to life on Teesside, losing his first four games, but by the time he left five years later he had brought the club their first major trophy, the 2004 Carling Cup, their highest Premier League finish – seventh – and taken them to the 2006 Uefa Cup final.
A 4-0 defeat by Sevilla in Eindhoven in that final was his last game in charge before taking the England job as successor to Sven-Goran Eriksson in August 2006.
However, his reign lasted just 18 games and after a 3-2 Wembley defeat by Croatia ended England's hopes of reaching the finals of Euro 2008, he was relieved of his duties having famously been dubbed "the wally with the brolly".
McClaren was handed a chance to rebuild his career by Twente the following June having been advised by the late Sir Bobby Robson to gain experience abroad as he did, and has quietly and impressively done just that. Wolfsburg were not his only suitors in recent weeks.
At Wolfsburg he will have the chance to work with the likes of Grafite and Edin Dzeko, whose goals took the Wolves to the 2009 title.
The coach Felix Magath moved on to Schalke immediately after that triumph and was replaced by Armin Veh, who was sacked in January because of Wolfsburg's disappointing form. Lorenz-Gunther Kostner had been in charge since then in an interim capacity.
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