Share

Mourning Wolfsburg make trip

Berlin - Wolfsburg decided to fly out to a training camp in South Africa later on Sunday, a day after midfielder Junior Malanda died in a car crash, the club said.

The Belgian 20-year-old youth international was killed on Saturday when the car he was a passenger in, en route to a team meeting for their departure, swerved off the motorway, crashed into a tree and flipped over.

"We have decided to fly out this afternoon (on Sunday). It was no easy decision," Wolfsburg sports director Klaus Allofs told a news conference. "This would also have been in the spirit of Junior.

"We want to keep going, professionally, also for him," said Allofs.

Wolfsburg, who went into the winter break second in the Bundesliga 11 points behind Bayern Munich, had postponed their departure to Cape Town on Saturday.

Malanda joined Wolfsburg in 2013 and had a spell on loan at Zulte Waregem.

He played 17 league games for Wolfsburg, 10 this season, scoring two goals.

"He is leaving a huge gap," coach Dieter Hecking said.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
50% - 7 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
50% - 7 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE