Stuttgart transformed under Sebastian Hoeneß | OneFootball

Onwards and upwards for Sebastian Hoeneß's VfB Stuttgart

Sebastian Hoeneß celebrated his two-year anniversary as VfB Stuttgart head coach the day after his side's DFB Cup semi-final victory over RB Leipzig, continuing a remarkable upward trend since the German's appointment in April 2023.

WANT MORE NEWS LIKE THIS? FIND MORE ARTICLES ON THE OFFICIAL BUNDESLIGA APP.

The 3-1 triumph against Leipzig propelled Stuttgart into their first cup final since losing the 2012/13 edition to Bayern Munich's treble-winners. If they can finish the job against 3. Liga's Arminia Bielefeld in Berlin on 24 May, Die Schwaben will get their hands on a first major title for 18 years, when a team coached by Armin Veh won the 2006/07 Bundesliga.

It marks the latest milestone for a side transformed under the tutelage of 42-year-old Hoeneß. The club were bottom of the Bundesliga when he took charge two years ago, following spells with the Bayern Munich reserves - with whom he won the 2019/20 3. Liga title - and Hoffenheim. Top-flight survival ultimately came by way of an emphatic play-off win over Bundesliga 2's Hamburg, and it's been onwards and upwards ever since.

The period of yo-yoing between Germany's top two divisions seemingly behind them, Stuttgart tore up the script in 2023/24 by finishing ahead of Bayern and second only to Xabi Alonso's unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen in the final standings. A first UEFA Champions League berth since 2009/10, as well as a shot at the Supercup - which they narrowly lost on penalties to Leverkusen - was their reward.

Naturally, for a team perceived as punching above their weight, a handful of 2023/24 cornerstones were snatched away in the close season. Top scorer Serhou Guirassy and captain Waldemar Anton switched to Borussia Dortmund, just as relegation savioir Wataru Endō had been lured to Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool 12 months earlier.

Transitional teething troubles were inevitable, but Hoenéß found solutions by bringing in the likes of defender Jeff Chabot from relegated Cologne and Augsburg chief goal threar Ermedin Demirović, whilst maintaining his easy-on-the eye playing style. He also convinced Bayern-owned goalkeeper Alexander Nübel to extend his stay, striker Deniz Undav to sign permanent terms and fellow newly minted Germany internationals Chris Führich and Maximilian Mittelstädt to stick around. And in an additional Hoeneß hallmark, emerging talents such as Anrie Chase, Nick Woltemade and El Bilal Touré have been afforded, and taken, copious first-team opportunities throughout 2024/25.

Season highlights include domestic wins over Dortmund and Leipzig, Champions League league phase successes against Juventus, Young Boys and Slovan Bratislava and, of course, the aforementioned DFB Cup run. There have been inconsistencies, but a second successive campaign of continental football is firmly on the cards, with Stuttgart overriding favourites to win their fourth DFB Cup next month. Only four points outside the top six heading into the final six league fixtures of the season, their domestic standing offers a viable alternative route into Europe, should they stumble in the German capital.

Whatever happens at the end of 2024/25, Stuttgart are in the safest of hands. Hoeneß has already shown he can handle pressure and upheaval, whilst his recent decision to extend his contract with the three-time Bundesliga champions until summer 2028 underlines his unwavering commitment to the VfB cause. All signs point to Hoeneß's Stuttgart remaining a real force for the forseeable future...

LIKED THE ARTICLE? FIND MORE ARTICLES ON THE OFFICIAL BUNDESLIGA APP.