Nicklas Bendtner (VfL Wolfsburg): "He wasn’t just a great player, but also a great person. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, brother. Your good heart will be missed. We will always be thinking of you."
Ricardo Rodriguez (VfL Wolfsburg): "I’m shocked and deeply affected. I’m going to miss you Junior Malanda! My thoughts are with with your family and loved ones."
Daniel Caligiuri (VfL Wolfsburg): "You’ve left us far too soon. Our thoughts are with you and your family. You will always be in our hearts! R.I.P. Junior Malanda."
Marc Wilmots (Belgium manager): "Belgian football has lost a huge talent. My thoughts are with Junior Malanda’s family and friends."
Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Mönchengladbach and one of Malanda’s closest friends): "Why??? I love you brother."
Romelu Lukaku (Everton and one of Malanda’s closest friends): "Junior, why you my brother... I can’t believe that you’re not with us anymore... Tears haven’t stopped flowing since I heard the news. Our friendship was great and not meant to end like this. Rest in peace, my brother."
Benedikt Höwedes (Schalke 04): "RIP Junior Malanda! You will continue to play within our hearts. Our thoughts are with your family and friends."
Kevin Prince-Boateng (Schalke 04): "There’s more to life than football and material goods...My thoughts are with Malanda’s family!!"
VfL Wolfsburg and the rest of the footballing world are currently mourning the loss of Junior Malanda. The 20-year-old was involved in a car accident at roughly 15:25 CET on the A2 motorway near Porta Westfalica. The car was travelling in the direction of Hannover.
The player was due to meet up with his Wolfsburg team mates on Saturday evening ahead of their flight from Braunschweig to South Africa, where their winter training camp will take place. As a result of the accident, Saturday's journey to Cape town was postponed. The club decided on Sunday that they will go ahead with their training camp and will fly out at 18:00 CET.
VfL Wolfsburg teammates and footballing personalities across the globe have paid tribute to Junior Malanda. DFB.de has collected reaction here:
Wolfgang Niersbach (DFB president): "The tragic accident has affected us all and left us shocked. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and all at VfL Wolfsburg."
Klaus Allofs (VfL Wolfsburg sporting director): "We are distraught and can simply not find the words to express our bewilderment. We all loved him dearly. He was the positive spirit within the team and a young man full of the joys of life. In addition, Junior was an excellent footballer, merely at the beginning of his development. We cannot believe that he is no longer with us. Our thoughts at this dreadful time are with his family and relatives.”
Dieter Hecking (VfL Wolfsburg head coach): "I can‘t even begin to explain how I am feeling right now and what is going through my mind. We just had a discussion with Junior yesterday and he was eagerly looking forward to his future. It was a joy to work with Junior and we had big plans together. I am unspeakably saddened."
Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz (VfL Wolfsburg chairman of the supervisory board): "We are deeply saddened and totally shocked. Junior Malanda was a really young guy and a promising player, who had a great future ahead of him – his life has been cut brutally short far too early. Our thoughts are with his family, who we will attempt to assist at this difficult time. Speaking as a father, there are things that a person should never have to experience. His death is also a huge loss to VfL Wolfsburg."
Kevin de Bruyne (VfL Wolfsburg): "It’s terrible when you hear such news in the evening, having only spoken to him in the morning. I’ve lost a great friend. Rest in peace, you will never be forgotten."
Nicklas Bendtner (VfL Wolfsburg): "He wasn’t just a great player, but also a great person. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, brother. Your good heart will be missed. We will always be thinking of you."
Ricardo Rodriguez (VfL Wolfsburg): "I’m shocked and deeply affected. I’m going to miss you Junior Malanda! My thoughts are with with your family and loved ones."
Daniel Caligiuri (VfL Wolfsburg): "You’ve left us far too soon. Our thoughts are with you and your family. You will always be in our hearts! R.I.P. Junior Malanda."
Marc Wilmots (Belgium manager): "Belgian football has lost a huge talent. My thoughts are with Junior Malanda’s family and friends."
Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Mönchengladbach and one of Malanda’s closest friends): "Why??? I love you brother."
Romelu Lukaku (Everton and one of Malanda’s closest friends): "Junior, why you my brother... I can’t believe that you’re not with us anymore... Tears haven’t stopped flowing since I heard the news. Our friendship was great and not meant to end like this. Rest in peace, my brother."
Benedikt Höwedes (Schalke 04): "RIP Junior Malanda! You will continue to play within our hearts. Our thoughts are with your family and friends."
Kevin Prince-Boateng (Schalke 04): "There’s more to life than football and material goods...My thoughts are with Malanda’s family!!"
Matthias Sammer (Bayern München sporting director): "Words can’t describe how we are feeling. I have a son who is a similar age and it’s simply horrifying."
Jürgen Klopp (Borussia Dortmund head coach): "We heard the news in the hotel and are all deeply shocked. It’s a tragedy. Words can’t explain the feelings. He was a young guy and an incredible footballer."
Hans-Joachim Watzke (Borussia Dortmund CEO): "It’s incredibly sad news and a huge shock for the Bundesliga. It’s a huge tragedy."
Christian Seifert (Chairman of the DFL): "We’re all deeply affected by the news. We are mourning the loss of the player alongside VfL Wolfsburg. Our thoughts are with his relatives and team mates."
Joseph S. Blatter (FIFA president): "I’m shocked and devastated to hear about the tragic death of Junior Malanda. Football has lost a great talent. My thoughts are with his family.”
