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VfB Stuttgart

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VfB Stuttgart
Full nameVerein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V.
Nickname(s)Die Roten (The Reds)
Die Schwaben (The Swabians)[1]
Short nameVfB
Founded9 September 1893; 131 years ago (1893-09-09)
GroundMHPArena
Capacity60,058[2]
PresidentDietmar Allgaier
ChairmanAlexander Wehrle
Head coachSebastian Hoeneß
LeagueBundesliga
2023–24Bundesliga, 2nd of 18
Websitevfb.de
Current season
Active departments of
VfB Stuttgart
Football
(Men's)		 Football II
(Men's)		 Football
(Women's)
Athletics Field hockey Fistball
Table tennis Esports Referees
Garde
(Sociability)

Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V. (lit. 'Association for Movement Games Stuttgart 1893'), commonly known as VfB Stuttgart (German pronunciation: [faʊ̯ɛfˈbeː ˈʃtʊtɡaʁt] ⓘ), is a German professional sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club's football team is currently part of Germany's first division, the Bundesliga. VfB Stuttgart has won the national championship five times, most recently in 2006–07, the DFB-Pokal three times and the UEFA Intertoto Cup a record two times. In the all-time Bundesliga table the club sits in fourth place.

The football team plays its home games at the MHPArena, in the Neckarpark which is located near the Cannstatter Wasen, where the city's fall beer festival takes place. Second team side VfB Stuttgart II currently plays in the 3. Liga, which is the highest division allowed for a reserve team. The club's junior teams have won the national under 19 championships a record ten times and the national under 17 championships seven times.

A membership-based club with over 100,000 members,[3] VfB is the largest sports club in Baden-Württemberg and the eighth-largest football club in Germany. It has departments for fistball, field hockey, track and field, table tennis, and football referees, all of which compete only at the amateur level. The club also maintains an esports department and a social department, the VfB-Garde.

History

[edit]

Foundation to WWII

[edit]

Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart was formed through a 2 April 1912 merger of predecessor sides Stuttgarter FV and FC Krone Cannstatt following a meeting in the Concordia hotel in Cannstatt. Each of these clubs was made up of school pupils with middle-class roots[4] who learned new sports such as rugby union and football from English expatriates such as William Cail who introduced rugby in 1865.[5]

FV Stuttgart

[edit]
FV Stuttgart in 1894

Stuttgarter Fußballverein was founded at the Zum Becher hotel in Stuttgart on 9 September 1893.[6] FV were initially a rugby club, playing games at Stöckach-Eisbahn before moving to Cannstatter Wasen in 1894. The rugby club established a football section in 1908. The team drew players primarily from local schools, under the direction of teacher Carl Kaufmann, and quickly achieved its first success; in 1909, they were runners-up to FSV 1897 Hannover in the national rugby final, losing 6–3.[7] Rugby was soon replaced by association football within the club, as spectators found the game too complicated to follow.

In 1909, FV joined the Süddeutschen Fußballverband (South German Football Association),[8] playing in the second tier B-Klasse. In their second season FV won a district final against future merger partner Kronen-Klub Cannstatt before being defeated by FV Zuffenhausen in the county championship that would have seen the side promoted. They eventually advanced to the senior Südkreis-Liga in 1912.

Kronenclub Cannstatt

[edit]
The first team in 1912

Cannstatter Fußballklub was formed as a rugby club in 1890 and also quickly established a football team. This club was dissolved after just a few years of play and the former membership re-organized themselves as FC Krone Cannstatt in 1897 to compete as a football-only side.[9] The new team joined the Süddeutschen Fußballverband (SFV) as a second division club and won promotion in 1904. Krone possessed their own ground, which still exists today as the home of TSV Münster.

Following the 1912 merger of these two clubs, the combined side played at first in the Kreisliga Württemberg and then in the Bezirksliga Württemberg-Baden, earning a number of[quantify] top three finishes and claiming a title there in 1927. The club also made several[quantify] appearances in the final rounds of the SFV in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

1930s and 1940s

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In 1933, VfB moved to Neckar Stadium, the site of its current ground. German football was re-organized that same year under the Third Reich into sixteen top-flight divisions called Gauligen. Stuttgart played in the Gauliga Württemberg and won division titles in 1935, 1937, 1938, 1940, and 1943 before the Gauliga system collapsed part way through the 1944–45 season due to World War II. The club had an intense rivalry with Stuttgarter Kickers throughout this period.

VfB's Gauliga titles earned the team entry to the national playoff rounds, with their best result coming in 1935 when they advanced to the final where they lost 4–6 to defending champions Schalke 04, the dominant side of the era. After a third-place result at the national level in 1937, Stuttgart was not able to advance out of the preliminary rounds in subsequent appearances.

Successes through the 1950s

[edit]
Historical chart of Stuttgart league performance

VfB continued to play first division football in the Oberliga Süd, capturing titles in 1946, 1952, and 1954. They made regular appearances in the German championship rounds, emerging as national champions in 1950 and 1952, finishing as runner-up in 1953, and winning two DFB-Pokal titles in 1954 and 1958. The team which won four titles in eight years was led by Robert Schlienz who had lost his left arm in a car crash.[citation needed] Despite these successes, no player from the Stuttgart squad had a place in the team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup.

Original Bundesligist

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Due to disappointing[according to whom?] results in international competition including the 1958 and 1962 FIFA World Cup, and in response to the growth of professionalism in the sport, the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball Bund, or DFB) replaced the regional top flight competitions with a single nationwide professional league in 1963. Stuttgart's consistently solid[according to whom?] play through the 1950s earned them a place among the 16 clubs that would make up the original Bundesliga. As an amateur organisation, and due to proverbial Swabian austerity, the club hesitated to spend money, and some players continued to work in an everyday job. Throughout the balance of the decade and until the mid-1970s,[vague] the club would generally[vague] earn mid-table results. One of the few stars[tone] of the time was Gilbert Gress from Strasbourg.

In 1973, the team qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time and advanced to the semi-finals of the 1974 tournament where they were eliminated by eventual winners Feyenoord (1–2, 2–2).

1975–2000: Era of president MV

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VfB Stuttgart was in crisis in the mid-1970s, having missed new trends in football such as club sponsorship. Attempts to catch up with new levels of professionalism by spending money failed. Towards the end of the 1974–75 season, with the team in imminent danger of being relegated to Second Bundesliga, local politician Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder was elected as new president. However, a draw in the final game of the season meant that VfB would be ranked 16th and lose its Bundesliga status. The first season in the second league, considered the worst in its history,[according to whom?] ended with VfB being ranked 11th, having even lost a home game against local rival SSV Reutlingen in front of just 1,200 spectators.

With new coach Jürgen Sundermann and new talents[tone] like Karlheinz Förster and Hansi Müller (1975/76-1981/82), the team built around Ottmar Hitzfeld scored one hundred goals in 1976–77 and thus returned to the top-flight after just two seasons.

The young team was popular[tone] for offensive and high-scoring play, but suffered from lack of experience. At the end of 1977–78, VfB was ranked fourth, but the average attendance of over 53,000 set the league record until the 1990s. In 1978/79 they finished second in the Bundesliga. They made another UEFA Cup semi-final appearance in 1980 and delivered a number of[quantify] top four finishes on their way to their first Bundesliga title – the club's third national title – in the 1983/84 season, now under coach Helmut Benthaus.

Jürgen Klinsmann (centre) against Dynamo Dresden in the semi-final of the 1988–89 UEFA Cup

In 1986, VfB lost the DFB-Pokal final 2–5 to Bayern Munich. In the 1989 UEFA Cup Final, with Jürgen Klinsmann in their ranks, they lost out to Napoli (1–2, 3–3), where Diego Maradona was playing at the time.

In 1991–92, Stuttgart clinched[tone] its fourth title, in one of the closest races in Bundesliga history, finishing ahead of Borussia Dortmund on goal difference. Internationally, they had been eliminated from UEFA Cup play that season (1991–92) after losing their second round match to Spanish side Osasuna (2–3). As national champions, the club qualified to play in the UEFA Champions League in 1992–93, but were eliminated in the first round by Leeds United after a tie-breaking third match in Barcelona which was required due to coach Christoph Daum having substituted a fourth non-German player in the tie's second leg.[citation needed]

VfB did not qualify for any European competition again until 1997, by way of their third German Cup win, with coach Joachim Löw. They enjoyed[tone] a measure of success[vague] on their return, advancing to the 1998 European Cup Winners' Cup final in Stockholm, where they lost to Chelsea in what was the penultimate year of the competition. Only one player of the "magic triangle", captain Krassimir Balakov, remained after Giovane Élber and Fredi Bobic left. Löw's contract was not renewed, and he was replaced by Winfried Schäfer, who in turn was sacked after one season.[citation needed]

Stuttgart's performance, however, fell off after this as the club earned just mid-table results over the next two seasons despite spending money on the transfer market and having veterans like Balakov.

2000–2007: The post-MV-era return to success

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Due to high debts and the lack of results, Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder finally resigned from VfB in 2000 to take over offices at the DFB, UEFA, and FIFA. New president Manfred Haas had to renegotiate expensive contracts with players who seldom appeared on the field anyway. As in 1976, when Mayer-Vorfelder had taken over, the team had to be rebuilt by relying on talents from the youth teams. The VfB has Germany's most successful program in the German youth Championship.

Coach Ralf Rangnick had started a restructuring of the team that won the Intertoto Cup, but the resulting extra strain of the UEFA Cup participation ended in narrowly escaping from relegation in 2001 by clinching[tone] the 15th spot in the league table. Rangnick was replaced by Felix Magath.

With players like Andreas Hinkel, Kevin Kurányi, Timo Hildebrand, and Alexander Hleb earning themselves the nickname "the young and wild" [citation needed], the club soon re-bounded and finished as Bundesliga runners-up in the 2002–03 season. In July 2003, Erwin Staudt became the new president of the club.[citation needed]

2003–04 Champions League

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VfB qualified for their second Champions League appearance for 2003–04, beating Manchester United and Rangers once and Panathinaikos twice to advance from the group stage as runners-up to Manchester United. They were then matched against Chelsea in the round of 16, falling 0–1 and 0–0 over two legs.

Stuttgart continued to play as one of the top teams in the country, earning fourth and fifth place Bundesliga finishes in 2003–04 and 2004–05 respectively, and again taking part in the UEFA Cup, but without great success. In addition, coach Magath and several players left for another clubs: Kevin Kurányi for Schalke 04, Philipp Lahm for Bayern Munich and Alexander Hleb for Arsenal.

Halfway through the disappointing[according to whom?] 2005–06 season, Giovanni Trapattoni was sacked and replaced by Armin Veh.[citation needed] The new coach was designated as a stop-gap due to having resigned from Hansa Rostock in 2003 to focus on his family and having no football job since 2004, save for coaching his home team FC Augsburg for one season. Supported by new manager Horst Heldt, Veh could establish himself and his concept of focusing on promising inexpensive players rather than established stars. Team captain, Zvonimir Soldo, retired, and other veterans left the team that slipped to[tone] ninth place and did not qualify for European competition for the first time in four years.

Bundesliga champions 2006–07

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Sami Khedira with the Meisterschale

Despite early-season losses and ensuing criticism in 2006–07, including a 3–0 loss at home to 1. FC Nürnberg, Veh managed to[tone] turn the collection of new players like Mexicans Pável Pardo, and Ricardo Osorio, Brazilian Antônio da Silva and fresh local talents,[tone] including Mario Gómez, Serdar Tasci, and Sami Khedira, into a strong contender that led the league on 12 November 2006 for the first time in two years.[vague] Stuttgart established themselves among the top five and delivered a strong challenge for the Bundesliga title by winning their final eight games. In the penultimate week on 12 May 2007, Stuttgart beat VfL Bochum 3–2 away from home, taking the Bundesliga lead from Schalke 04 and at minimum securing a spot in the 2007–08 Champions League. After trailing 0–1 in the final match of the season against Energie Cottbus, Stuttgart came back to win 2–1 and claim their first Bundesliga title in 15 years. The victory celebrations in Stuttgart, totalling 250,000 people, even topped those of Germany's third place win over Portugal in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

In addition, VfB had their first ever chance to win the double as they also reached the final of the German Cup for the first time since their victory there ten years former. Their opponents in the cup final in Berlin were 1. FC Nürnberg, a team that had beaten them twice by three goals in regular season, 3–0 and 4–1, and had last won the cup in 1962. With the game level at 1–1 in the first half, Stuttgart's scorer Cacau was sent off.[citation needed] Nürnberg gained a 2–1 lead early in the second half, but the ten men of VfB managed to fight back and equalize. In the second half of extra time, however, with both teams suffering from exhaustion and the humid conditions, Nürnberg scored the winning goal.

2007 to 2018: Decline and two relegations

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2007–08 UEFA Champions League

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The 2007–08 UEFA Champions League draw on 30 August 2007 paired the German champions with Spanish giants Barcelona, French champions Lyon and Scottish Old Firm side Rangers. Like in the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League season, Stuttgart's 2007–08 European campaign started with a match at Ibrox Park in Glasgow against Rangers. It ended in a 2–1 defeat. The second match at home against Barcelona was likewise lost, 0–2, as well as the third match, against Lyon at home, with the visitors coming out 2–0 winners from two-second-half strikes. Five defeats and just one win (over Rangers) meant the early exit on the European stage. In the league, they managed to[tone] finish in sixth place after a poor start. New German international star Mario Gómez scored 19 goals.

Subsequently, UEFA Cup qualification was ensured in the summer by succeeding in the 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Post-championship seasons 2008–12

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Stuttgart against Borussia Dortmund in 2011

The 2008–09 season, like the one before it, got off to a bad start.[according to whom?] After matchday 14 in November, VfB was only 11th in the table and as a result, Armin Veh was sacked and replaced by Markus Babbel.[citation needed] After exiting the German Cup after a 1–5 thrashing[tone] from Bayern Munich in January, prospects improved considerably[according to whom?] and the team ended third in the table, with second place just being missed after a loss to Bayern on the last matchday. That meant the chance of making the Champions League again.

Internationally, VfB mastered[tone] the group stages of the 2008–09 UEFA Cup, but lost to Cup defenders Zenit Saint Petersburg in the round of the last 32 in February.

Stuttgart went into the 2009–10 season with Mario Gómez leaving for Bayern Munich, just as Pavel Pogrebnyak arrived from Zenit Saint Petersburg and Alexander Hleb returning on loan from Barcelona.[vague]

On the European level, Stuttgart started the season with a huge success[tone] by qualifying for the group stage of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. Stuttgart entered that competition for the third time in six years (after 2003 and 2007) by defeating Romanian side Politehnica Timișoara in the Champions League play-off round on 18 and 26 August 2009. VfB were then drawn into Group G against Spanish side Sevilla, Scottish champions Rangers, against whom they had also been drawn against in their previous two Champions League Group stage appearances, and Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni. With two wins (one each against Rangers and Unirea), three draws (one each against all opponents) and a loss (to Sevilla) they managed second spot in the group, thus qualifying for the round of the last 16, where they had to face title holders Barcelona in late winter. After a superb[according to whom?] home game against Barça which Stuttgart, however, did not manage to[tone] win (1–1), they were eliminated in a 4–0 rout at Camp Nou.

In the 2009–10 DFB-Pokal, they did not proceed further than the last 16 either, losing to second-tier side SpVgg Greuther Fürth. That defeat came in the course of a disappointing[according to whom?] first half of the 2009–10 Bundesliga. As a consequence of slipping to[tone] 16th spot in December, young coach Markus Babbel was fired after matchday 15 and replaced by the more experienced Swiss Christian Gross.[citation needed] Under his tenure, VfB improved their situation domestically as well as internationally before the winter break. During that break, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Jan Šimák and Ludovic Magnin left the club; Cristian Molinaro was loaned out from Juventus. In the later half of the season, the team – as in the 2008–09 season – had a fantastic,[tone] almost unbroken, winning streak. As the best team of that second (return) round of the Bundesliga, the Swabians[vague] under Gross climbed into the upper half of the table and, after a sensational[tone] rally, eventually managed to[tone] secure European football for the following season by qualifying for the Europa League.

The 2010–11 season was a mediocre[tone][according to whom?] one—after again spending the first half of the season almost always in the relegation zone (17th and 18th spot), with Christian Gross being fired and interim coach Jens Keller taking over for the rest of the first leg, Bruno Labbadia was hired as new coach in January and managed to save VfB from relegation.[citation needed] Eventually, the team finished 12th after a decent[according to whom?] second-half performance. In July 2011, Erwin Staudt did not participate again in the election of the president and Gerd E. Mäuser was elected as president.

In the following 2011–12 season, they managed to[tone] constantly climb up the table; this was especially thanks to a long unbeaten streak in the spring. Subsequently, VfB qualified for the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League. Key players during that season were Martin Harnik, who scored 17 goals, as well as winger Gōtoku Sakai and forward Vedad Ibišević, who both came to Stuttgart in January 2012.

Stuttgart in 2013

With effect from 3 June 2013, Gerd E. Mäuser announced his resignation as president of VfB Stuttgart.[10] On 2 July 2013, the supervisory board of the club named Bernd Wahler as the candidate for the presidential elections.[11] On 22 July 2013, Wahler was elected by 97.4% of the votes cast.[12]

After barely avoiding relegation from the Bundesliga in the 2014–15 season, Stuttgart were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga in the 2015–16 season after finishing in 17th place, having been unable to lift themselves out of the bottom three positions until the end of the season.[clarification needed][13] Following matchday 13, a home match against FC Augsburg and their second consecutive 4–0 loss, Stuttgart decided to terminate Alexander Zorniger's contract and appointed Jürgen Kramny as their manager for an indefinite period.[citation needed] After Stuttgart were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga, Wahler resigned as president on 15 May 2016.[14] Kramny was subsequently sacked as coach.

On 17 May 2016, Jos Luhukay was announced as the new head coach.[15] In July 2016, Jan Schindelmeiser became the sporting director and member of the executive board.[16] Head coach Luhukay resigned on 15 September 2016 and was replaced by Hannes Wolf.[17] At the end of the season, Stuttgart returned to the Bundesliga as the 2. Bundesliga champions. On 22 December 2017, after nearly 10 years since his departure, Bundesliga title winning striker Mario Gomez returned to the team from fellow Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, The team made a solid[according to whom?] return season to the Bundesliga, finishing in 7th place. However, they slumped[tone] to 16th the following season, eventually ending up relegated via play-offs against Union Berlin.

2019–present: Re-emergence and the runner-up position

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Mario Gómez in 2019

Stuttgart appointed Thomas Hitzlsperger as the sporting CEO, and in April they appointed Sven Mislintat as the sporting director, coming from Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal. In July 2019, Stuttgart was relegated to the second division, and started to rebuild the team. In mid-season, December 2019, former coach Tim Walter was fired and Pellegrino Matarazzo was signed.[citation needed] After one season, Stuttgart returned to the Bundesliga after finishing second in the 2019–20 2. Bundesliga season. In 2020, the contract of Mislintat was prolonged[by whom?] to give him more responsibility.[vague]

Stuttgart stayed in the Bundesliga in the 2020–21 season, finishing in ninth place in the league.[18] In the 2021–22 season, the team narrowly avoided relegation; a last-minute-win against 1. FC Köln on the last match day guaranteed them a spot in the first league for a third consecutive season.[19] In the 2022–23 season, Stuttgart managed to stay in the Bundesliga for a fourth consecutive season, but again only very closely, with Stuttgart finishing in 16th place and only qualifying for the next season thanks to successful play-offs.

The 2023–24 season for Stuttgart has been one of the most successful ones of the club's history.[20] Stuttgart was frequently called "the surprise team of the season". In Bundesliga, they played their best season ever based on the number and rate of victories. They remained in 3rd place of the Bundesliga for most of the matchdays, only behind Leverkusen and Bayern, until they surpassed Bayern Munich on the final matchday to finish as Bundesliga runners-up. It was the club's best performance since winning the league in 2007.[21] They also reached the quarter-finals in the DFB Pokal, where they defeated 1. FC Union Berlin and Borussia Dortmund before losing to eventual winners Bayer Leverkusen 3–2. Strikers Serhou Guirassy and Deniz Undav were among the top goalscorers worldwide, with Guirassy even breaking the all-time Stuttgart record of most goals in a season despite missing some games.[22] Deniz Undav, Alexander Nübel, Chris Führich, Maximilian Mittelstädt and Waldemar Anton were nominated for the preliminary squad of the Germany national team for the UEFA Euro 2024, a club record high for number of players ever selected from the club in a major tournament.[23]

Kits

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For a complete development see VfB Stuttgart kits
Wikimedia Commons has media related to VfB Stuttgart kits.
  • Current sports brand: Jako.
  • Home uniform: White shirt with a horizontal red stripe, white shorts and white socks.
  • Alternative uniform: Red shirt, red shorts and red socks.
  • Third uniform: Dark green or yellow shirt, dark green or yellow shorts and dark green or yellow socks.
First[24]
(See evolution)
Currently

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

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Kit used in 2019 season featuring German international star Mario Gómez
Period Kit manufacturers Shirt sponsor Sleeve sponsor
1975–1976 Adidas None None
1976–1977 Frottesana
1977–1978 Erima
1978–1979 Adidas
1979–1980 Erima Canon
1980–1982 Adidas
1982–1986 Dinkelacker
1986–1987 Sanwald Extra
1987–1997 Südmilch
1997–1999 Göttinger Gruppe
1999–2002 Debitel
2002–2005 Puma
2005–2010 EnBW
2010–2012 GAZİ
2012–2017 Mercedes-Benz Bank
2017–2019 GAZİ
2019–2023 Jako Mercedes-EQ
2023– Winamax hep global

Crest

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  • Badge of Stuttgarter FV 93 (1893–1912)
    Badge of Stuttgarter FV 93 (1893–1912)
  • Badge of FC Krone Cannstatt (1897–1912)
    Badge of FC Krone Cannstatt (1897–1912)
  • Badge of VfB Stuttgart (1912–1949)
    Badge of VfB Stuttgart (1912–1949)
  • Badge of VfB Stuttgart (1994–2014)
    Badge of VfB Stuttgart (1994–2014)
  • Badge of VfB Stuttgart (1949–1994, 2014–)
    Badge of VfB Stuttgart (1949–1994, 2014–)

Stadium

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Main article: MHPArena
The MHPArena

The home ground of VfB Stuttgart is the MHPArena which was originally built in 1933. It lies close to the River Neckar on Bad Cannstatt's Mercedesstraße near the new Mercedes-Benz Museum and Mercedes-Benz factory. After being renovated several times, the stadium was able to hold a maximum capacity of 55,896 spectators (50,000 for international matches). For the 1974 FIFA World Cup, the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion (its original name) was one of the venues for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, hosting five preliminary round matches, a first knockout round match (England vs. Ecuador) and the third place play-off (Germany vs. Portugal). From the 2008–09 season, the stadium was named the Mercedes-Benz-Arena, starting with a pre-season friendly against Arsenal on 30 July 2008.[25] The stadium recently went through extensive restructuring and rebuilding as it was being converted into a pure football arena. In 2011, the capacity was increased to 60,449.

Rivalries, friendships and cooperations

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The longest rivalry of VfB is the city rivalry with Stuttgarter Kickers (Die Roten/Reds against Die Blauen/Blues). However, the respective first teams of the two clubs have not played each other since Kickers were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga in 1992. Thus, this derby has increasingly been overtaken in importance by the Baden-Württemberg-Derby between VfB and Karlsruher SC. In this derby, old Badenese-Württembergian animosities are played out.[according to whom?] The rivalry with Bavarian side Bayern Munich ("Süd-/South Derby") is mainly one-sided, as VfB fans maintain animosity towards Bayern for buying some of Stuttgart's best players and coaches in recent years, such as Giovane Élber, Felix Magath, Mario Gómez, and Benjamin Pavard.

Regional friendships exist between VfB and the South Württemberg side SSV Reutlingen 05 (the "little brother" of VfB) as well as with North Württembergers SpVgg Ludwigsburg but also with Heidenheim FC Heidenheim. On a national level, supporters groups of VfB used to be[vague] closely connected with those of Energie Cottbus, 1. FC Saarbrücken, Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt. All of these supporter group friendships have been discontinued by today or are only maintained by few supporter groups. Current ultras friendships are with the ultras of SSV Reutlingen 05 and Italian club Cesena.

In 2005, a cooperation treaty between VfB and Swiss Super League side St. Gallen was signed, with particular emphasis on the youth sectors of both clubs.

Honours

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National

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International

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Pre-season

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Regional

[edit]

Reserve team

[edit]

Youth

[edit]

European record

[edit]
Scores and results list Stuttgart's goal tally first.

Club management

[edit]
Position Name
Interim President (since 1 August 2024) Dietmar Allgaier
Chairman, Executive board representative for Strategy and Communications Alexander Wehrle
Executive board representative for Sport Fabian Wohlgemuth
Executive board representative for Finances, Administration and Operations Thomas Ignatzi
Executive board representative for Marketing and Distribution Rouven Kasper

Players

[edit]
For recent transfers, see List of German football transfers summer 2024 § VfB Stuttgart, and List of German football transfers summer 2024 § VfB Stuttgart.

Current squad

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As of 3 September 2024[26][27]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Germany GER Fabian Bredlow
2 DF Belgium BEL Ameen Al-Dakhil
3 DF Netherlands NED Ramon Hendriks
4 DF Germany GER Josha Vagnoman
5 MF Germany GER Yannik Keitel
6 MF Germany GER Angelo Stiller
7 DF Germany GER Maximilian Mittelstädt
8 MF France FRA Enzo Millot
9 FW Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH Ermedin Demirović
10 FW Mali MLI El Bilal Touré (on loan from Atalanta)
11 FW Germany GER Nick Woltemade
13 DF Germany GER Frans Krätzig (on loan from Bayern Munich)
15 DF Germany GER Pascal Stenzel
16 MF Turkey TUR Atakan Karazor (captain)
17 FW Germany GER Justin Diehl
18 FW Germany GER Jamie Leweling
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 FW Denmark DEN Wahid Faghir
20 DF Switzerland SUI Leonidas Stergiou
21 GK Germany GER Stefan Drljača
22 FW Germany GER Thomas Kastanaras
23 DF France FRA Dan-Axel Zagadou
24 DF Germany GER Jeff Chabot
26 FW Germany GER Deniz Undav
27 MF Germany GER Chris Führich
28 MF Denmark DEN Nikolas Nartey
29 DF France FRA Anthony Rouault
32 MF Switzerland SUI Fabian Rieder (on loan from Rennes)
33 GK Germany GER Alexander Nübel (on loan from Bayern Munich)
40 FW Germany GER Luca Raimund
41 GK Germany GER Dennis Seimen
45 DF Japan JPN Anrie Chase

Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW South Korea KOR Jeong Woo-yeong (at Germany Union Berlin until 30 June 2025)
— MF Germany GER Laurin Ulrich (at Germany SSV Ulm until 30 June 2025)
— FW Serbia SRB Jovan Milošević (at Switzerland St. Gallen until 30 June 2025)
— FW Colombia COL Juan José Perea (at Switzerland Zürich until 30 June 2025)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW Germany GER Luca Pfeiffer (at Germany Karlsruher SC until 30 June 2025)
— FW Netherlands NED Mohamed Sankoh (at Italy Cosenza until 30 June 2025)
— FW Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Silas (at Serbia Red Star Belgrade until 30 June 2025)

Past players

[edit]
Main article: List of VfB Stuttgart players

Notable former players

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Joachim Löw was chosen as the head coach of VfB Stuttgart's "Centenary Eleven"

In the year 2012, for the 100th anniversary of the merger of FV Stuttgart and Kronen-Klub Cannstatt, the supporters voted for Jahrhundert-Elf, the "Centenary Eleven":[28]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Germany GER Timo Hildebrand
— DF Germany GER Karlheinz Förster
— DF Germany GER Günther Schäfer
— DF Brazil BRA Marcelo Bordon
— MF Bulgaria BUL Krasimir Balakov
— MF Germany GER Guido Buchwald
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Germany GER Karl Allgöwer
— MF Germany GER Sami Khedira
— MF Germany GER Robert Schlienz
— FW Germany GER Jürgen Klinsmann
— FW Brazil BRA Giovane Élber

Records

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Karl Allgöwer scored the most goals in VfB Stuttgart's history

Coaches

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Current coaching staff

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Name Position
Germany Sebastian Hoeneß Head coach
Germany David Krecidlo Assistant coach
Germany Steffen Krebs Goalkeeping coach
United States Nathaniel Weiss Technical coach
Germany Martin Franz Fitness coach
Germany Matthias Schiffers Fitness coach
England Oliver Bartlett Performance and Fitness coach

Management since 1920

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Managers of the club since 1920:[29]

Manager Period Honours
Germany Grünwald 1920
England Edward Hanney (1889–1964) 1 July 1924 – 27 Jan Bezirksliga Württemberg-Baden champions 1927
Hungary Lajos Kovács (1894–1961) September 1927 – 31 December 1929 Württemberg division champions 1930
Germany Emil Friz (1904–1966) 1 January 1930 – 15 June 1930
Germany Karl Preuß 15 June 1930–33
Germany Willi Rutz (1907–1993) July 1933–34
Germany Emil Gröner (1892–1944) 1934–35
Germany Fritz Teufel (1910–1950) 1935 – 30 June 1936 German championship runners-up 1935,
Gauliga Württemberg champions 1935
Germany Leonhard "Lony" Seiderer (1895–1940) 1 July 1936 – 30 June 1939 Gauliga Württemberg champions 1937, 1938
Germany Karl Becker (1902–1942) March 1939 – April 39
Germany Josef Pöttinger (1903–1970) 1 May 1939 – Oct 39
Germany Fritz Teufel (1910–1950) 1 July 1945 – 30 June 1947 Oberliga Süd champions 1946
Germany Georg Wurzer (1907–1982) 1 July 1947 – 30 April 1960 German champions 1950, 1952, Runners-up 1953,
Oberliga Süd champions 1952, 1954, German Cup 1954, 1958
Germany Kurt Baluses (1914–1972) 1 May 1960 – 24 February 1965
Germany Franz Seybold (1912–1978) 25 February 1965 – 7 March 1965
Germany Rudi Gutendorf (1926–2019) 8 March 1965 – 6 December 1966
Germany Albert Sing (1917–2008) 7 December 1966 – 30 June 1967
Germany Gunther Baumann (1921–1998) 1 July 1967 – 30 June 1969
Germany Franz Seybold (1912–1978) 1 July 1969 – 30 June 1970
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Branko Zebec (1929–1988) 1 July 1970 – 18 April 1972
Germany Karl Bögelein (1927–2016) 19 April 1972 – 30 June 1972
Germany Hermann Eppenhoff (1919–1992) 1 July 1972 – 1 December 1974
Germany Fritz Millinger (b. 1935) 2 December 1974 – 13 December 1974
Germany Albert Sing (1917–2008) 14 December 1974 – 30 June 1975
Hungary István Sztani (b. 1937) 1 July 1975 – 31 March 1976
Germany Karl Bögelein (1927–2016) 1 April 1976 – 30 June 1976
Germany Jürgen Sundermann (1940–2022) 1 July 1976 – 30 June 1979 Bundesliga runners-up 1979
Germany Lothar Buchmann (b. 1936) 1 July 1979 – 30 June 1980
Germany Jürgen Sundermann (1940–2022) 1 July 1980 – 30 June 1982
Germany Helmut Benthaus (b. 1935) 1 July 1982 – 30 June 1985 German champions 1984
Croatia Otto Barić (b. 1932) 1 July 1985 – 4 March 1986
Germany Willi Entenmann (1943–2012) 5 March 1986 – 30 June 1986 German Cup runners-up 1986
Germany Egon Coordes (b. 1944) 1 July 1986 – 30 June 1987
Netherlands Arie Haan (b. 1948) 1 July 1987 – 26 March 1990 UEFA Cup runners-up 1989
Germany Willi Entenmann (1943–2012) 27 March 1990 – 19 November 1990
Germany Christoph Daum (b. 1953) 20 November 1990 – 10 December 1993 German champions 1992
Germany Jürgen Röber (b. 1953) 15 December 1993 – 25 April 1995
Germany Jürgen Sundermann (b. 1940) 26 April 1995 – 30 June 1995
Austria Rolf Fringer (b. 1957) 1 July 1995 – 13 August 1996
Germany Joachim Löw (b. 1960) 14 August 1996 – 30 June 1998 German Cup 1997, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup runners-up 1998
Germany Winfried Schäfer (b. 1950) 1 July 1998 – 4 December 1998
Germany Wolfgang Rolff (b. 1959) 5 December 1998 – 31 December 1998
Germany Rainer Adrion (b. 1953) 1 January 1999 – 2 May 1999
Germany Ralf Rangnick (b. 1958) 3 May 1999 – 23 February 2001
Germany Felix Magath (b. 1953) 24 February 2001 – 30 June 2004 Bundesliga runners-up 2003
Germany Matthias Sammer (b. 1967) 1 July 2004 – 3 June 2005
Italy Giovanni Trapattoni (b. 1939) 17 June 2005 – 9 February 2006
Germany Armin Veh (b. 1961) 10 February 2006 – 23 November 2008 German champions 2007, German Cup runners-up 2007
Germany Markus Babbel (b. 1972) 23 November 2008 – 6 December 2009
Switzerland Christian Gross (b. 1954) 6 December 2009 – 13 October 2010
Germany Jens Keller (b. 1970) 13 October 2010 – 12 December 2010
Germany Bruno Labbadia (b. 1966) 12 December 2010 – 26 August 2013 German Cup runners-up 2013
Germany Thomas Schneider (b. 1972) 26 August 2013 – 9 March 2014
Netherlands Huub Stevens (b. 1953) 10 March 2014 – 30 June 2014
Germany Armin Veh (b. 1961) 1 July 2014 – 23 November 2014
Netherlands Huub Stevens (b. 1953) 25 November 2014 – 28 June 2015
Germany Alexander Zorniger (b. 1967) 29 June 2015 – 24 November 2015
Germany Jürgen Kramny (b. 1971) 24 November 2015 – 15 May 2016
Netherlands Jos Luhukay (b. 1967) 15 May 2016 – 15 September 2016
Germany Olaf Janßen (b. 1966) 15 September 2016 – 20 September 2016
Germany Hannes Wolf (b. 1981) 20 September 2016 – 28 January 2018
Turkey Tayfun Korkut (b. 1974) 29 January 2018 – 7 October 2018
Germany Markus Weinzierl (b. 1974) 9 October 2018 – 20 April 2019
Germany Nico Willig (b. 1980) 20 April 2019 – 18 June 2019
Germany Tim Walter (b. 1975) 19 June 2019 – 23 December 2019
United States Pellegrino Matarazzo (b. 1977) 30 December 2019 – 10 October 2022
Germany Michael Wimmer (b. 1980) 11 October 2022 – 5 December 2022
Germany Bruno Labbadia (b. 1966) 5 December 2022 – 3 April 2023
Germany Sebastian Hoeneß (b. 1982) 3 April 2023 – Bundesliga runners-up 2024

Bundesliga positions

[edit]
Main article: List of VfB Stuttgart seasons

The season-by-season performance of the club since 1963 (Bundesliga era):[30][31]

Key
1st Champions ↑ Promoted ↓ Relegated

References

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  1. ^ "The German soccer dictionary: Meanings, definitions, translations..." bundesliga.com. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Extensive refurbishment work completed: MHP Arena Stuttgart shines in new splendor" (PDF). mhp.com. MHP Management- und IT-Beratung. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Over 100,000 members!". vfb.de. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  4. ^ Hardy Grüne: Mit dem Ring auf der Brust Archived 12 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine Vorwort S. 7
  5. ^ Heineken, Philipp (1930). Erinnerungen an den Cannstatter Fussball-Club [Memories of the Cannstatter Fussball-Club] (in German). Heidelberg: Verlag Hermann Meister. p. 10.
  6. ^ Chronik 19 Archived 12 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Chronik 19 Archived 12 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Chronik 19 Archived 12 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Vereinschronik Kronen-Club 1897". Archived from the original on 22 September 2012.
  10. ^ "Management changes". VfB Stuttgart. 10 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  11. ^ "Board name presidential candidate". VfB Stuttgart. 2 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  12. ^ "Bernd Wahler is VfB President". VfB Stuttgart. 22 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  13. ^ "Bundesliga". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  14. ^ Wahler, Bernd (15 May 2016). "Erklärung des Präsidenten – Bernd Wahler zu seiner Amtsniederlegung". VfB Stuttgart.
  15. ^ "Luhukay neuer Trainer". VfB Stuttgart. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  16. ^ "Jan Schindelmeiser becomes Sporting Director". VfB Stuttgart. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  17. ^ "Hannes Wolf is the new VfB coach". VfB Stuttgart. 20 September 2016. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  18. ^ "Bundesliga Tabelle 2020/21". kicker.de (in German). Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  19. ^ "We are staying up!". vfb.de. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  20. ^ ""Doppel-Hack" erledigt Stuttgart: VfB verpasst beste Klub-Hinrunde". web.de (in German). 14 January 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  21. ^ "Bundesliga fireworks on frantic final day". Bundesliga. 18 May 2024.
  22. ^ "Guirassy und Undav servieren auch Frankfurt ab". sportschau.de (in German). 15 April 2024.
  23. ^ "Nübel 'surprised' with nomination to Germany's Euro 2024 squad". Yahoo!. 16 May 2024.
  24. ^ "Establishment of FC Stuttgart 1893". VfB Stuttgart. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  25. ^ Arsenal Media Group. "Friendly against VfB Stuttgart announced". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  26. ^ "Official Bundesliga transfer centre: Summer 2024".
  27. ^ "Team List". VfB Stuttgart.
  28. ^ "Die Jahrhundertelf des VfB" (in German). StN.de. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  29. ^ VfB Stuttgart .:. Trainer von A-Z (in German) weltfussball.de. Retrieved 18 September 2011
  30. ^ Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv (in German) Historical German domestic league tables
  31. ^ Fussball.de – Ergebnisse Archived 7 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine (in German) Tables and results of all German football leagues
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