World champion Schuerrle makes Wolfsburg celebrate

Some see it as being the greatest moment in the club' s history. And no doubt: It is. Honestly, who would have expected a team like VfL Wolfsburg to be among the inner circle of Europe's top clubs in this season' s Champions League campaign?

After the German side reached the quarterfinals in Europe's most important club competition against Belgian underdog KAA Gent with a 1-0 win in the second leg (3-2 first leg), nobody in Wolfsburg really cares about the next opponent. It is most likely to be one of the big boys in world football. Next Friday, Wolfsburg will know who is next up. And most likely nobody will expect another surprise from the team located in the north of Germany.

The place in the quarterfinal is the biggest surprise ever in Wolfsburg. 2014 World Champion Andre Schuerrle scored the winning goal after 74 minutes after a cross from Julian Draxler. "It' s a sensation. Nobody predicted us to go so far," added Wolfsburg CEO Klaus Allofs. "Maybe we get lucky and can avoid the big clubs."

Wolfsburg, the second German team left in the Champions League alongside Bayern Munich, has not only grown in stature on the international stage but the significant amount of money will go no small way to securing greater consistency in the future. Wolfsburg have earned 44 million euros on their way to reaching the last eight and now at least another six are secure when the next chapter of international football will be written.

It took several months before Wolfsburg's coach Dieter Hecking found the right system his stars feel comfortable with and, at least as important, his team was mostly successful with. A midfield diamond headed by Draxler (22) and Schuerrle (25/fourth goal last three games) and Kruse (27) up front has now finally been able to deliver the goods after Hecking' s previous system seemed to stifle the trio for which the club had splashed out 78 million euros.

The Wolfsburg diamond in midfield now gives greater freedom for the forwards who change position constantly. "We are more the types of players that look for space and gaps themselves," said Schuerrle recently.

Draxler (36 million euros from FC Schalke 04), Schuerrle (32 million euros from Chelsea) and Kruse (12 million euros from Borussia Moenchengladbach) only developed slowly into the unit that today goes forward at pace. Draxler is gradually on his way back to top form playing just behind the two strikers in offensive midfield.

Things have started to click for the 2015 German Cup winner after the restart to the league season after the winter break. Or put differently, Draxler, Schuerrle (both 2014 World champions) and Kruse have been showing their skills. As for the Champions League, a "lucky draw" (underdog KAA Gent and not Barcelona or Real Madrid) has helped them gain the international attention the club owners, the German car manufacturer Volkswagen, demands. Wolfsburg, especially coach Dieter Hecking and CEO Klaus Allofs, had to develop a team capable of taking up a place on the international stage.

The team and coach first had to go through a minor crisis before a convincing recipe was found. "What keeps me having positive thoughts is the fact that we have developed a tangible determination to win games," said Draxler.

The fact has also been noticed by Germany' s national coach Joachim Loew. The Wolfsburg trio is on his list of candidates for EURO 2016. "Draxler has outstanding abilities," said Oliver Bierhoff, the general manager of the German national team, after Draxler had scored two goals in the first leg against the Belgian side (3-2). All three of Wolfsburg's squad have legitimate hopes of being amongst Loew's 23-man squad.

"Their form is definitely on the up," said Hecking. And Wolfsburg' s CEO, the former German international Klaus Allofs said: "We knew we had to be patient with our newcomers. Now we are seeing their quality."

But even teams finding their way have to overcome tight games like the one against Gent in the Champions League. Wolfsburg took control of the game, having far more possession but the Germans could not find the necessary pace to overcome a Gent that was solid defensively.

Schuerrle, Brazilian international Luis Gustavo and Draxler all missed gilt-edged chances, and Gent began to increase the pressure up front in the last quarter. Wolfsburg changed its system into a 4-2-3-1 to get more power along the flanks. Then Schuerrle's time came when he struck in the 74th minute to put his team 1-0. A vital goal that started celebrations in Wolfsburg's arena. For the 25-year-old, it was another important goal on his way to feeling at home in the northern German city after having to go through many months of frustration. Endite