Maximilian Arnold

Maximilian Arnold (born 27 May 1994) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for VfL Wolfsburg. An academy graduate of Wolfsburg, Arnold became the club's youngest ever debutant in 2011 and has since made over 200 league appearances. He is also a full German international having made his senior debut in 2014.

Maximilian Arnold
Arnold with VfL Wolfsburg in 2014
Personal information
Date of birth (1994-05-27) 27 May 1994
Place of birth Riesa , Germany
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 VfL Wolfsburg
Number 27
Youth career
2003–2006 SC Riesa
2006–2009 Dynamo Dresden
2009–2011 VfL Wolfsburg
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011– VfL Wolfsburg 221 (27)
National team‡
2009–2010 Germany U16 2 (0)
2010–2011 Germany U17 10 (1)
2011–2012 Germany U18 8 (2)
2012 Germany U19 2 (0)
2013 Germany U20 6 (1)
2013–2017 Germany U21 23 (5)
2014– Germany 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:02, 27 June 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:34, 30 June 2017 (UTC)

Club career

VfL Wolfsburg

Youth and early Wolfsburg career

Born in Riesa, Germany, Arnold represented local sides BSV Strehla and SC Riesa during his formative years.[1] In 2006, at the age of 12, he left Riesa to join the academy of Dynamo Dresden where he spent the next four years before signing for VfL Wolfsburg.[1] During his time with Wolfsburg's youth sides he helped the club to two German U-19 championships; in 2009 and 2011.[2]

Arnold was handed his first-team debut by Felix Magath on 26 November 2011 when he was brought on as a late substitute in a 2–0 loss at FC Augsburg. Upon appearing he became the club's youngest ever debutante at the age of 17 years, five months and 30 days.[2][3] He spent the majority of the season with the U-19 side, however, and made only one further senior appearance for the remainder of the campaign.[1]

After continuing to impress at youth level, Arnold returned to the first team in 2013 under new manager Dieter Hecking.[1] On 13 April, he scored his first professional goal in a 2–2 home draw against 1899 Hoffenheim. In doing so, he also became the club's youngest ever goalscorer.[1][2] He scored again the following week in a 3–0 victory over Werder Bremen which helped end a streak of five matches without a win for Wolfsburg.[4] Following a run of two goals in six matches, Arnold signed an extended four-year contract with the club.[5]

First team breakthrough and Cup success
Arnold (bottom row, second from right) prior to Wolfsburg's Champions League match against CSKA Moscow in 2015

The following season, Arnold started in the opening match against Hannover but was sent off after just thirty minutes. He subsequently lost his place in the side's squad and had to wait a number of months before returning. Upon his return, however, he scored four goals in five matches to help the club qualify for the following season's Europa League.[6] His form throughout the season caught the attention of German national team manager Joachim Löw who handed him his first senior call-up at the end of the campaign.[7][8] He carried his form into the 2014–15 season where Wolfsburg ended as runners-up to Bayern Munich and won the DFB Pokal after beating Borussia Dortmund 3–1.[9][10]

By virtue of the club's league position the season before and success in the DFB Pokal, Wolfsburg took part in the 2015 DFL-Supercup and the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League campaign. On 1 August 2015, Arnold started and played the whole match as Wolfsburg beat Bayern Munich on penalties to claim the Supercup title.[11] He then made his Champions League debut on 15 September 2015, coming as a substitute for André Schürrle in a 1–0 win over CSKA Moscow.[12] He scored his first goal in the competition in April the following year, netting Wolfsburg's second in a 2–0 home win over Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.[13] Wolfsburg failed to progress, however, as a hat-trick from Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo in the second leg saw the club eliminated from the competition.[14] Arnold ultimately scored four goals in 43 appearances across all competitions as Wolfsburg ended the league campaign in eighth position.[15]

The club struggled during the course of the next two seasons. During the 2016–17 campaign, Arnold scored twice, including one against Hoffenheim in the first match of the Rückrunde as Wolfsburg narrowly avoided relegation.[16] Wolfsburg ultimately had to defeat Eintracht Braunschweig in the relegation play-off to maintain their spot in the German top-flight.[17] The club again battled relegation the following season and towards the end of the campaign, Arnold and teammates Max Grün and Paul Verhaegh had to try and appease the club's disgruntled supporters following a 3–1 defeat to fellow relegation strugglers, Hamburg.[18] In spite of the club's shortcomings, Arnold had enjoyed some personal success earlier in the season. On 3 January 2018, he signed a new five-year contract with Wolfsburg and later that month scored a contender for goal of the season with a long-range free-kick in a 3–1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.[19][20]

On 23 November 2019, Arnold made his 200th Bundesliga appearance for Wolfsburg and marked the occasion with an assist for Wout Weghorst's goal in the club's 2–0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.[21]

International career
Arnold captaining the German U-21 side at the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

Youth

Between 2009 and 2017, Arnold represented Germany at every youth level. In 2017, he captained the U-21 side to the title at the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Poland. He recorded two assists, and scored his spot-kick in a penalty shootout win over England in the semi-finals, as Germany went on to claim their second title with a victory over Spain. His performances throughout the tournament ultimately earned him a spot in the team of the tournament.[22]

Senior

On 13 May 2014, Arnold made his debut against Poland, though he played only the last 14 minutes after substituting Max Meyer.

Career statistics
As of match played 27 June 2020[23]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League League Cup1 Continental2 Other3 Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
VfL Wolfsburg 2011–12 Bundesliga 2000——20
2012–13 6310——73
2013–14 28730——317
2014–15 2745280—406
2015–16 3132010110444
2016–17 32220—20362
2017–18 29230—20342
2018–19 33230——362
2019–20 3342081—435
Career total 221272122625027331

1 Includes DFB-Pokal matches.
2 Includes UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League matches.
3 Includes DFL-Supercup and relegation play-off matches.

Honours and achievements

Club
VfL Wolfsburg

International
Germany U21

Individual

Records
Vfl Wolfsburg
  • Youngest player: 17 years, five months and 30 days[2]

References
  1. Camedda, Paolo (15 February 2014). "Meet Max Arnold - the Wolfsburg wunderkind wanted by Juventus and Arsenal". Goal. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  2. "Ten Things about Maximilian Arnold". Bundesliga. 12 February 2014. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014.
  3. "Brinkmann öffnet den Weg zum ersten Heimsieg" [Brinkmann opens the way to first home win] (in German). kicker. 26 November 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  4. "Nervenstarker Diego lässt die Würfel fallen" [Strong-nerved Diego lets the dice roll] (in German). kicker. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  5. "Arnold pens new Wolfsburg deal". Football 365. 22 June 2013. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014.
  6. "Hey Arnold!". Bundesliga Fanatic. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  7. Peters, Daniel (9 May 2014). "Maxi erfuhr's bei der Fußpflege" [Maxi learned about the pedicure] (in German). Bild. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  8. Quinn, Philip (10 May 2014). "Bundesliga, Week 34 preview: European and relegation places are on the line in the final matchday". SB Nation. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  9. "DFB Cup, 2014/2015, final" (in German). DFB. 30 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  10. Genene, Brooke (29 July 2015). "2015-16 Season Preview: VfL Wolfsburg". Bundesliga Fanatic. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  11. "Wolfsburg win Supercup on penalties". DW Sport. 1 August 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  12. "Wolfsburg 1–0 CSKA Moscow". Sky Sports. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  13. Davis, Callum (7 April 2016). "Marcelo's laughable dive sums up Real Madrid's pathetic night". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  14. "Real Madrid 3 Wolfsburg 0; agg 3-2: Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick completes brilliant comeback". The Telegraph. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  15. "Season Review 2015/16: VfL Wolfsburg". Bundesliga. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  16. Pearson, Matt (12 February 2017). "Bundesliga: Supersub Didavi inspires Wolfsburg, Freiburg beat Cologne". DW. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  17. Pearson, Matt; Ford, Matt (29 May 2017). "Vieirinha's thunderbolt keeps Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga". DW. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  18. Hensel, Engelbrecht (28 April 2018). "Maximilian Arnold fordert Deutlichte verbessuring: "Mussen uns den arsch aufreissen"" [Max Arnold demands clear improvement: "We have to rip our arses off"] (in German). Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  19. "Maximilian Arnold bis 2022 in Wolfsburg". dfb.de. 3 January 2018.
  20. "Watch: Maximilian Arnold's wondergoal against Frankfurt". Bundesliga. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  21. "Wout Weghorst and Joao Victor earn ten-man Wolfsburg the spoils in Frankfurt". Bundesliga. 23 November 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  22. "Süle, Werner, Meyer and Arnold: The Bundesliga's Fantastic Four centurions". Bundesliga. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  23. "M. Arnold". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  24. "Weisers Kopfball macht den EM-Traum wahr". kicker.de (in German). 30 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  25. "The official Under-21 Team of the Tournament". UEFA.com.
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