Marius Wolf: From Borussia Dortmund back-up to Germany international
By Ishan Tyagi
Marius Wolf’s path to Die Schwarzgelben
After making his way up from 2. Bundesliga with 1860 Munich to Eintracht Frankfurt and helping them win the DFB-Pokal in 2018, Marius Wolf attracted the interest of BVB. He secured a move to the Signal Iduna Park as a midfielder as Lucien Favre’s second signing.
But he didn’t make a significant mark in his first season, with only 16 Bundesliga appearances to his name. Wolf ended up getting loaned out for a couple of years. First to Hertha Berlin and then to FC Köln for the 20/21 season.
Marius Wolf’s towering physique and grit give him an advantage in the air, and his experience in midfield adds a layer of playmaking abilities to his CV, which makes him a very versatile player overall. He displayed those traits on his loan spell at Köln, where he became a regular starter, starting 29 games and playing in a variety of different roles, including at centre-forward.
As the mantle at BVB got passed from Lucien Favre to Marco Rose, Wolf finally got a chance to showcase his abilities in BVB colours. An injury crisis allowed Wolf to get his opportunity and he managed to make himself handy and take up roles wherever needed. The 21/22 season saw him play on both wings, in midfield, and at full-back. He seamlessly fit across formations and tactics and continued to evolve.
The first half of this season saw a similar situation where he continued to chip in wherever possible, but mostly complemented Meunier at right-back. But just before the World Cup, Wolf underwent a successful surgery related to a mild atrial fibrillation that raised more questions about the state of the right-back position at BVB.