VfB Stuttgart
Encyclopedia
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German
sports club
based in Stuttgart
, Baden-Württemberg
. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga
seasons. The team has won the national championship
five times in total—most recently in the 2006–07 season—and the DFB-Pokal
(German cup) three times.
The football team plays its home games at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, situated in the Neckarpark (sport and event location around and including the Cannstatter Wasen
) sports complex. It is also famous for its talented reserve team, VfB Stuttgart II
, which currently plays in the 3rd Liga
, the highest division allowed for a reserve team, and also for its junior teams, which won the national U19 championships a record 10 times and the Under 17 Fußball-Bundesliga for 6 times.
VfB Stuttgart is a membership-based club and with 45.636 (as of: September 2011), VfB is the largest sports club in the state and the fifth largest in the country. In addition to the successes of the professional, amateur and youth football teams, athletes from the club's athletics department have won numerous titles and medals. The club also has departments for fistball
, hockey
, table-tennis and football referees. These five departments only compete at amateur level. The club also maintains a social department, the VfB-Garde.
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart was formed through 2 April 1912 merger of predecessor sides Stuttgarter FV and Kronen-Club Cannstatt following a meeting in the Concordia hotel in Cannstatt. Each of these clubs was made up of school pupils with middle class roots who learned new sports such as rugby union
and football from English pioneers.
Stuttgarter Fußballverein was founded at the Zum Becher hotel in Cannstatt on 9 September 1893. 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. Rugby was soon replaced by football within the club, as spectators found the game too complicated to follow.
In 1909 FV joined the Süddeutschen Fußballverband (Southern Germany Football Association), 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.
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 top three finishes and claiming a title there in 1927. The club also made several appearances in the final rounds of the SFV in the late 20s and early 30s.
. Stuttgart played in the Gauliga Württemberg
and enjoyed considerable success there, winning division titles in 1935, 1937, 1938, 1940, and 1943 before the Gauliga system collapsed part way through the 1944–45 season. 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. After a third place result at the national level in 1937, Stuttgart was not able in subsequent appearances to advance out of the preliminary rounds.
(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. No player from Stuttgart had been selected for the team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup
though.
and 1962 FIFA World Cup
, DFB introduced a single professional league in 1963. Stuttgarts consistently good play throughout the 1950s earned them a place among the sixteen clubs that would make up the original Bundesliga
. The club, as an amateur organisation and due to proverbial Swabian
austerity, hesitated to spend money, and some players continued to work in an everyday job. Throughout the balance of the decade and into the mid-70s the club would generally earn mid-table results. One of the few stars of the time was Gilbert Gress from Strasbourg.
In 1972–1973 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 Rotterdam
(1–2, 2–2).
, local politician Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder
was elected as new president. Yet, a tie in the final game meant that VfB would be ranked 16th and lose its Bundesliga status. The first season in second league, considered the worst in its history, ended with VfB being ranked 11th, having even lost a home game against local rival SSV Reutlingen
in front of only 1200 spectators.
With new coach Jürgen Sundermann and new talents like Karlheinz Förster
and Hansi Müller
, the team around Ottmar Hitzfeld
scored hundred goals in 1976–77 and thus returned to top flight play after just two seasons.
The young team was popular for offensive and high-scoring play, but suffered from lack of experience. At the end of 1977–78, the VfB was ranked fourth, but the average attendance of over 53,000 set the league record until the 1990s. They made another UEFA Cup semi-final appearance in 1980 and delivered a number of top four finishes on their way to their first Bundesliga title – the club's third national title – in 1984, now under coach Helmut Benthaus
.
In 1986, VfB lost the German Cup 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, the club clinched 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 was 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 game two.
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 a measure of success 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 Elber
and Fredi Bobic left. Löw's contract was not renewed, he was replaced by Winfried Schäfer who in turn was sacked after one season.
However, Stuttgarts performance 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 for veterans like Balakov.
finally resigned from VfB in 2000 to take over offices at German Football Association
, UEFA
and FIFA
. New president Manfred Haas had to renegotiate expensive contracts with players that seldom appeared on the field anyway. As in 1976, when MV 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 :de:Deutsche Jugendmeisterschaft (Fußball).
Coach Ralf Rangnick had started a restructuring of the team that won the UI Cup, but the resulting extra strain of the UEFA cup participation ended in barely escaping from relegation in 2001 by clinching 15th spot. Rangnick was replaced by Felix Magath
.
With players like Andreas Hinkel
, Kevin Kurányi
, Timo Hildebrand
or Alexander Hleb earning themselves the nickname the young and wild, the club soon re-bounded and finished as Bundesliga runners-up in the 2002–03 season.
appearance and, beating Manchester United
and Rangers
once and Panathinaikos
twice, they advanced out of group play to the first knock out round where they were eliminated by their old nemesis Chelsea
(0–1 and 0–0) (see also 2003–04 UEFA Champions League).
They continued to play as one of the top teams in the country, earning fourth and fifth place Bundesliga finishes, and again taking part in the UEFA Cup, but without great success. In addition, coach Magath and several players left for stronger clubs: Kevin Kurányi
for Schalke 04, Philipp Lahm
for Bayern Munich
and Alexander Hleb for Arsenal
.
Halfway through the disappointing 2005–06 season, Giovanni Trapattoni
was sacked and replaced by Armin Veh
. 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 except coaching his home team Augsburg
for a 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 ninth place and did not qualify for European competition for the first time in four years.
, and Ricardo Osorio
, and Brazilian Antônio da Silva and fresh local talents, 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. 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, took the Bundesliga lead from Schalke 04
and secured a spot in the 2007–08 UEFA 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 (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 Nuremberg, a team that had beaten them twice by 3 goals in regular season, 3–0 and 4–1, but last had won the cup in 1962. With the game level at 1–1 in the first half, Stuttgart's scorer Cacau
was sent off. Nuremberg 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, with both teams suffering from exhaustion and the humid conditions, Nuremberg scored the winning goal.
giants Barcelona
, French
champions Lyon
and Scottish
Old Firm
side Rangers
. Like in the 2003–04 Champions League season, Stuttgart's 2007–08 European campaign started with a match at Glasgow
's Ibrox Park against Rangers. It ended in a 2–1 defeat. The second match at home against Barcelona was lost, too, 0–2, as well as the 3rd match, against Lyon at home, with the visitors coming out 2–0 winners from 2nd half strikes. Five defeats and just one win (over Rangers) meant the early exit on the European stage.
In the league they managed to become 6th after a poor start. New Germany star Mario Gómez
scored 19 goals.
Subsequently, UEFA Cup
qualification was ensured in the summer by succeeding in the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2008
.
. After exiting the German FA Cup
after a thrashing 1–5 defeat to FC Bayern Munich
in January, things improved considerably and the team ended up third, with 2nd place just being missed after a loss to Bayern Munich on the last matchday. That meant the chance of making the Champions League again.
Internationally, VfB mastered the group stages of the 2008–09 UEFA Cup, but lost to Cup defenders FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
in the round of the last 32 in February.
arriving from FC Zenit and Alexander Hleb returning (on loan from FC Barcelona
).
On the European level, VfB started the season with a huge success by qualifying for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League 2009-10. VfB entered that competition for the third time in six years (after 2003 and 2007) by defeating Romanian side FC Timisoara in the Champions League qualification "play-off round" on 18 and 26 August 2009. VfB were 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 2nd spot in the group, thus qualifying for the round of the last 16, where they had to face title holders FC Barcelona
in late winter. After a superb home game against Barça which VfB, however, did not manage to win (1–1), they were eliminated in a 4–0 rout at the Camp Nou.
In the 2009–10 German Cup
, they didn't proceed further than the last 16 either, losing to second-tier side Greuther Fürth. That defeat came in the course of a disappointing first half of the 2009–10 Bundesliga season
. As a consequence of slipping to 16th spot in December, young coach Markus Babbel was fired after matchday 15 and replaced by the more experienced Swiss Christian Gross
. Under his tenure, VfB improved their situation domestically as well as internationally before the winter break. During that break, Thomas Hitzlsperger
, Jan Simak
and Ludovic Magnin
left the club; Cristian Molinaro
was loaned out from Juventus Turin. In the later half of the season, the team – as in 2008–09 – had a fantastic, almost unbroken, winning streak. As the best team of that second (return) round of the Bundesliga, the Swabians under Christian Gross climbed into the upper half of the table and, after a sensational rally, eventually managed to qualify for European football next season (i.e. the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League).
on Bad Cannstatt's Mercedes-Straße near the new Mercedes-Benz Museum
and Mercedes-Benz
factory. After being renovated several times, the stadium can hold a maximum capacity of 55,896 spectators (50,000 for international matches). Unlike most other Bundesliga stadiums, the former Neckarstadion retains the traditional athletic track around the playing field despite intentions to convert it into a football-only stadium. As for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
, Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion 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
). Since the 2008–09 season, the stadium was named the Mercedes-Benz-Arena, starting with a pre-season friendly against Arsenal
on 30 July 2008. The stadium is currently undergoing extensive restructuring and rebuilding as it is being converted into a pure football arena. As building work continues, the capacity is reduced to around 41,000, while the final capacity will reach 60,000 at the end of 2011 (projected).
(Die Roten/Reds against Die Blauen/Blues). However, the respective first teams of the two clubs haven't 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
, KSC, for short. In this derby, old Baden
ian-Württemberg
ian animosities are played out. The rivalry with Bavarian side FC Bayern Munich
(Süd-/South Derby) is mainly one-sided, as VfB fans are angry at Bayern for buying some of Stuttgart's best players and coaches in recent years, such as Giovane Elber
, Felix Magath
and Mario Gómez
.
Regional friendships exist between VfB and the South Württemberg
side SSV Reutlingen
(little brother of VfB) as well as with North Württembergers SpVgg Ludwigsburg
. On a national level, supporters groups of VfB used to be closely connected with those of FC Energie Cottbus, 1. FC Saarbrücken
, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt
. All of these supporter group friendships have been discontinued by today or are only maintained by few supporter groups.
In 2005, a cooperation treaty between VfB and Swiss Super League
side FC St. Gallen
was signed, especially with regard to the youth sectors of both clubs.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
sports club
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
based in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
seasons. The team has won the national championship
German football champions
The German football champions are the annual winners of the highest association football competition in Germany. The history of the German football championship is complex and reflects the turbulent history of the country through the course of the 20th century.Brought to the country by English...
five times in total—most recently in the 2006–07 season—and the DFB-Pokal
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
(German cup) three times.
The football team plays its home games at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, situated in the Neckarpark (sport and event location around and including the Cannstatter Wasen
Cannstatter Wasen
The Cannstatter Wasen is a 35 hectare festival area on the banks of the Neckar river in the part of Stuttgart known as Bad Cannstatt.The Cannstatter Wasen form part of the Neckar Park Fairground....
) sports complex. It is also famous for its talented reserve team, VfB Stuttgart II
VfB Stuttgart II
VfB Stuttgart II is a German football team located in Stuttgart, currently playing in the 3rd Liga. Their first team, VfB Stuttgart, won the Bundesliga league title in 2007.- Relationship with VfB Stuttgart :...
, which currently plays in the 3rd Liga
3rd Liga
The 3rd Liga is the third division of football in Germany. The league started with the beginning of the 2008–09 season, when it replaced the Regionalliga as the third tier football league in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2...
, the highest division allowed for a reserve team, and also for its junior teams, which won the national U19 championships a record 10 times and the Under 17 Fußball-Bundesliga for 6 times.
VfB Stuttgart is a membership-based club and with 45.636 (as of: September 2011), VfB is the largest sports club in the state and the fifth largest in the country. In addition to the successes of the professional, amateur and youth football teams, athletes from the club's athletics department have won numerous titles and medals. The club also has departments for fistball
Fistball
Fistball is a sport which is of European origin and is similar to volleyball in that player tries to hit a ball over a net.-History:The earliest known written mention of the game is by Roman Emperor Gordian III and dates to the year 240. Rules for an Italian version of fistball were recorded by...
, hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, table-tennis and football referees. These five departments only compete at amateur level. The club also maintains a social department, the VfB-Garde.
Foundation to WWII
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and football from English pioneers.
FV Stuttgart
In 1909 FV joined the Süddeutschen Fußballverband (Southern Germany Football Association), 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
Südkreis-Liga
The Südkreis-Liga was the highest association football league in the German Kingdom of Württemberg, Grand Duchy of Baden, the Province of Hohenzollern and Alsace-Lorraine from 1908 to 1918...
in 1912.
Kronen-Klub Cannstatt
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. The new team joined the Süddeutschen Fußballverband (SFV) as a second division club and won promotion in 1904. Cannstatt 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
Kreisliga Württemberg
The Kreisliga Württemberg was the highest association football league in the German state of Württemberg from 1919 to 1923...
and then in the Bezirksliga Württemberg-Baden
Bezirksliga Württemberg-Baden
The Bezirksliga Württemberg-Baden was the highest association football league in the German states of Württemberg and Baden and the Prussian Province of Hohenzollern from 1923 to 1933. The league was disbanded with the rise of the Nazis to power in 1933....
, earning a number of top three finishes and claiming a title there in 1927. The club also made several appearances in the final rounds of the SFV in the late 20s and early 30s.
1933–1945
In 1933 the VfB moved into its home, the Neckar Stadium. The same year German football was re-organized under the Third Reich into sixteen top-flight divisions called GauligenGauliga
A Gauliga was the highest level of play in German football from 1934-45. The leagues were introduced in 1933, after the Nazi takeover of power by the Sports office of the Third Reich.-Name:...
. Stuttgart played in the Gauliga Württemberg
Gauliga Württemberg
The Gauliga Württemberg was the highest football league in the German state of Württemberg and the Prussian province of Hohenzollern from 1933 to 1945...
and enjoyed considerable success there, winning division titles in 1935, 1937, 1938, 1940, and 1943 before the Gauliga system collapsed part way through the 1944–45 season. The club had an intense rivalry with Stuttgarter Kickers
Stuttgarter Kickers
Stuttgarter Kickers is a German association football club that plays in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, founded on 21 September 1899 as FC Stuttgarter Cickers...
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. After a third place result at the national level in 1937, Stuttgart was not able in subsequent appearances to advance out of the preliminary rounds.
1950s championships
After the war VfB continued to play first division football in the Oberliga Süd, capturing titles there in 1946, 1952, and 1954. The team also made regular appearances in the German championship rounds emerging as national champion in 1950 and 1952, and finishing as runner-up in 1953. In the 1950s, the club also twice won the German CupDFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
(1954 and 1958). The team which won four titles in eight years was led by Robert Schlienz
Robert Schlienz
Robert Schlienz was a German football player. He is considered one of the best players ever to play for current Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart...
who had lost his left arm in a car crash. No player from Stuttgart had been selected for the team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
though.
1963 Bundesliga
Due to international competition that led to disappointing results in the 19581958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
and 1962 FIFA World Cup
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
, DFB introduced a single professional league in 1963. Stuttgarts consistently good play throughout the 1950s earned them a place among the sixteen clubs that would make up the original Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
. The club, as an amateur organisation and due to proverbial Swabian
Swabian
Swabian may refer:* to the German region of Swabia ; or* to Swabian German, a dialect spoken in Baden-Württemberg in south-west Germany and adjoining areas See also:...
austerity, hesitated to spend money, and some players continued to work in an everyday job. Throughout the balance of the decade and into the mid-70s the club would generally earn mid-table results. One of the few stars of the time was Gilbert Gress from Strasbourg.
In 1972–1973 the team qualified for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
for the first time and advanced to the semi-finals of the 1974 tournament where they were eliminated by eventual winners Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. These three clubs and Utrecht and Roda JC are the only clubs never to have been relegated from the Dutch first division...
(1–2, 2–2).
1975–2000 era of president MV
VfB Stuttgart was in crisis in the mid 1970s, having missed new trends like 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 Bundesliga2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
, local politician Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder
Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder
Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder , often called "MV", is the current Vice President of the Union of European Football Associations . Prior to his UEFA career, Mayer-Vorfelder was a politician of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, and served in the state cabinet of Baden-Württemberg from 1976 to 1998...
was elected as new president. Yet, a tie in the final game meant that VfB would be ranked 16th and lose its Bundesliga status. The first season in second league, considered the worst in its history, ended with VfB being ranked 11th, having even lost a home game against local rival SSV Reutlingen
SSV Reutlingen
SSV Reutlingen 05 is a German association football club from Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg.- History :The club was founded as FC Arminia Reutlingen and was re-named SV Reutlingen 1905 in 1910. The club fused with 1...
in front of only 1200 spectators.
With new coach Jürgen Sundermann and new talents like Karlheinz Förster
Karlheinz Förster
Karlheinz Helmut Förster is a former German footballer who played as a central defender.The younger brother of another football defender, Bernd Förster, he was regarded as one of the world's top man-markers at his peak, and played most of his career at VfB Stuttgart with Bernd...
and Hansi Müller
Hansi Müller
Hans-Peter "Hansi" Müller is a former German footballer.-Club career:Playing for his hometown side VfB Stuttgart, he took part to the UEFA Euro 1980 with West Germany, aged 22, after a brief taste of action at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, where started all four games. The tournament would prove to...
, the team around Ottmar Hitzfeld
Ottmar Hitzfeld
Ottmar Hitzfeld is a German former football player and manager, nicknamed der General ....
scored hundred goals in 1976–77 and thus returned to top flight play after just two seasons.
The young team was popular for offensive and high-scoring play, but suffered from lack of experience. At the end of 1977–78, the VfB was ranked fourth, but the average attendance of over 53,000 set the league record until the 1990s. They made another UEFA Cup semi-final appearance in 1980 and delivered a number of top four finishes on their way to their first Bundesliga title – the club's third national title – in 1984, now under coach Helmut Benthaus
Helmut Benthaus
Helmut Benthaus is a German retired football player and former coach. He spent his best playing days at Westfalia Herne and his best coaching days at FC Basel.-Playing career:...
.
In 1986, VfB lost the German Cup final 2–5 to Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. In the 1989 UEFA Cup Final
1989 UEFA Cup Final
The 1989 UEFA Cup Final was a football tie played on 3 May 1989 and 17 May 1989 between S.S.C. Napoli of Italy and VfB Stuttgart of West Germany. Napoli won 5–4 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-References:*...
, with Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann is a German football manager and former player who is currently the coach of the United States Men's National Team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the German one that...
in their ranks, they lost out to Napoli (1–2, 3–3) where Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
was playing at the time.
In 1991–92, the club clinched its fourth title, in one of the closest races in Bundesliga history, finishing ahead of Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
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
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
(2–3). As national champions, the club qualified to play in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in 1992–93, but was eliminated in the first round by Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
after a tie-breaking third match in Barcelona which was required due to coach Christoph Daum
Christoph Daum
Christoph Daum is a German football coach, currently managing Club Brugge.-Career as a player:Daum began his football career in 1971 in the youth league with Hamborn 07, transferred in 1972 to Eintracht Duisburg and then in 1975 to 1...
having substituted a fourth non-German player in game two.
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 a measure of success on their return, advancing to the 1998 European Cup Winners' Cup final in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, where they lost to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in what was the penultimate year of the competition. Only one player of the magic triangle, captain Krassimir Balakov
Krassimir Balakov
Krasimir Genchev Balakov is a former Bulgarian footballer and a current manager of Croatian club Hajduk Split. He was a key member of the Bulgarian national team that finished fourth in the 1994 FIFA World Cup...
, remained after Giovane Elber
Giovane Elber
Élber Giovane de Souza, simply Élber , is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a striker....
and Fredi Bobic left. Löw's contract was not renewed, he was replaced by Winfried Schäfer who in turn was sacked after one season.
However, Stuttgarts performance 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 for veterans like Balakov.
2000–2007 The post-MV-era return to success
Due to high debts and the lack of results, Gerhard Mayer-VorfelderGerhard Mayer-Vorfelder
Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder , often called "MV", is the current Vice President of the Union of European Football Associations . Prior to his UEFA career, Mayer-Vorfelder was a politician of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, and served in the state cabinet of Baden-Württemberg from 1976 to 1998...
finally resigned from VfB in 2000 to take over offices at German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
, UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
and FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
. New president Manfred Haas had to renegotiate expensive contracts with players that seldom appeared on the field anyway. As in 1976, when MV 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 :de:Deutsche Jugendmeisterschaft (Fußball).
Coach Ralf Rangnick had started a restructuring of the team that won the UI Cup, but the resulting extra strain of the UEFA cup participation ended in barely escaping from relegation in 2001 by clinching 15th spot. Rangnick was replaced by Felix Magath
Felix Magath
Wolfgang-Felix Magath is a former German football central midfielder and current manager of VfL Wolfsburg.-Playing career:...
.
With players like Andreas Hinkel
Andreas Hinkel
Andreas Hinkel is a German footballer who currently plays for German Bundesliga club SC Freiburg.He is a right back and has 21 caps for Germany....
, Kevin Kurányi
Kevin Kurányi
Kevin Dennis Kurányi is a German footballer who plays in Russia for Dynamo Moscow. He is a striker who possesses great aerial ability and finishing skills.- Early life :...
, Timo Hildebrand
Timo Hildebrand
Timo Hildebrand is a German professional football goalkeeper who is currently signed with Schalke 04.Hildebrand holds a Bundesliga record for keeping a clean sheet for 884 consecutive minutes in 2003–04.-VfB Stuttgart:...
or Alexander Hleb earning themselves the nickname the young and wild, the club soon re-bounded and finished as Bundesliga runners-up in the 2002–03 season.
Champions League 2003–04
Thus, VfB qualified for their second Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
appearance and, beating Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
once and Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
twice, they advanced out of group play to the first knock out round where they were eliminated by their old nemesis Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
(0–1 and 0–0) (see also 2003–04 UEFA Champions League).
They continued to play as one of the top teams in the country, earning fourth and fifth place Bundesliga finishes, and again taking part in the UEFA Cup, but without great success. In addition, coach Magath and several players left for stronger clubs: Kevin Kurányi
Kevin Kurányi
Kevin Dennis Kurányi is a German footballer who plays in Russia for Dynamo Moscow. He is a striker who possesses great aerial ability and finishing skills.- Early life :...
for Schalke 04, Philipp Lahm
Philipp Lahm
Philipp Lahm is a German footballer who plays for Bayern Munich and Germany. Lahm is also the captain for both the national team and Bayern....
for Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
and Alexander Hleb for Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
.
Halfway through the disappointing 2005–06 season, Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni , sometimes known as "Trap" or "Il Trap", is an Italian football coach and former player, considered the most successful club coach in the history of Serie A. As a player he was part of Italy's squad at the 1962 FIFA World Cup....
was sacked and replaced by Armin Veh
Armin Veh
Armin Veh is a German former footballer and current manager who works for Eintracht Frankfurt. He won the German championship with Bundesliga team VfB Stuttgart on 19 May 2007. Veh and his team also had the chance to win "the double" by winning the DFB-Cup on 26 May 2007 in Berlin, but lost 2–3 in...
. The new coach was designated as a stop-gap due to having resigned from Hansa Rostock
FC Hansa Rostock
F.C. Hansa Rostock is a German association football club based in the city of Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. They have emerged as one of the most successful clubs from the former East Germany and have made several appearances in the 1. Bundesliga. Rostock currently compete in the 2. Bundesliga...
in 2003 to focus on his family and having no football job since 2004 except coaching his home team Augsburg
FC Augsburg
FC Augsburg is a German football club based in Augsburg, Bavaria. The team was founded as Fußball-Klub Alemania Augsburg in 1907 and played as BC Augsburg from 1921 to 1969....
for a season. Supported by new manager Horst Heldt
Horst Heldt
Horst Heldt is a former German football player, now general manager at Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04.- Career as player :...
, 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 ninth place and did not qualify for European competition for the first time in four years.
Bundesliga champions 2006–07
Despite early-season losses and ensuing criticism in 2006–07, including a 3–0 loss at home to Nuremberg, Veh managed to turn the collection of new players like Mexicans Pável PardoPavel Pardo
Pável Pardo Segura , is a Mexican international footballer, who currently plays for the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.- Biography :...
, and Ricardo Osorio
Ricardo Osorio
Ricardo Osorio Mendoza is a Mexican international football defender, who currently plays with Monterrey of the Primera División de México...
, and Brazilian Antônio da Silva and fresh local talents, including Mario Gómez
Mario Gómez
Mario Gómez García is a German footballer who plays as a striker for FC Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga. Gómez joined Bayern after six years in Stuttgart. The fee was a record for a player transferred in the Bundesliga, estimated to be 30–35 million euro...
, Serdar Tasci
Serdar Tasçi
Serdar Tasci is a German football player who plays as a defender for VfB Stuttgart and the German national team.-Club career:Tasci was born in West Germany to Turkish parents. He played for the youth teams of SC Altbach, of Stuttgarter Kickers and, from July 1999 onwards, of Stuttgart...
and Sami Khedira
Sami Khedira
Sami Khedira is a German footballer currently playing for Real Madrid and the German national team. Khedira moved to Real Madrid from VfB Stuttgart in 2010...
, into a strong contender that led the league on 12 November 2006 for the first time in two years. 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
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...
3–2 away from home, took the Bundesliga lead from Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
and secured a spot in the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League. After trailing 0–1 in the final match of the season against Energie Cottbus
Energie Cottbus
FC Energie Cottbus is a German association football club based in Cottbus, Lusatia . It was founded in 1963 as SC Cottbus in what was, at the time, East Germany...
, Stuttgart came back to win 2–1 and claim their first Bundesliga title in 15 years. The victory celebrations in Stuttgart (250,000 people) even topped those of Germany's third place win over Portugal in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
.
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 Nuremberg, a team that had beaten them twice by 3 goals in regular season, 3–0 and 4–1, but last had won the cup in 1962. With the game level at 1–1 in the first half, Stuttgart's scorer Cacau
Cacau
Cacau is a Brazilian Modernist novel. It was written by Jorge Amado in 1933 and was his second novel....
was sent off. Nuremberg 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, with both teams suffering from exhaustion and the humid conditions, Nuremberg scored the winning goal.
Champions League 2007–08
The 2007–08 UEFA Champions League draw on 30 August 2007 paired the German champions with SpanishLa Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
giants Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, French
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
champions Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
and Scottish
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
side Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. Like in the 2003–04 Champions League season, Stuttgart's 2007–08 European campaign started with a match at Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
's Ibrox Park against Rangers. It ended in a 2–1 defeat. The second match at home against Barcelona was lost, too, 0–2, as well as the 3rd match, against Lyon at home, with the visitors coming out 2–0 winners from 2nd half strikes. Five defeats and just one win (over Rangers) meant the early exit on the European stage.
In the league they managed to become 6th after a poor start. New Germany star Mario Gómez
Mario Gómez
Mario Gómez García is a German footballer who plays as a striker for FC Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga. Gómez joined Bayern after six years in Stuttgart. The fee was a record for a player transferred in the Bundesliga, estimated to be 30–35 million euro...
scored 19 goals.
Subsequently, UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
qualification was ensured in the summer by succeeding in the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2008
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2008
The 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup was the last UEFA Intertoto Cup football tournament, the 14th to be organised by UEFA and the third since the competition's format was given a major overhaul. Three rounds were held, and eleven teams qualified for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. The draw...
.
2008–09 season
The 2008–09 season, like the one before it, came off to a bad start. After matchday 14 in November, VfB was only 11th in the table. As a result, Armin Veh was sacked and replaced by Markus BabbelMarkus Babbel
Markus Babbel is a former international German football player, who is currently manager of German Bundesliga club Hertha BSC. He played as a defender for clubs in Germany and England.-Career:...
. After exiting the German FA Cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
after a thrashing 1–5 defeat to FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
in January, things improved considerably and the team ended up third, with 2nd place just being missed after a loss to Bayern Munich on the last matchday. That meant the chance of making the Champions League again.
Internationally, VfB mastered the group stages of the 2008–09 UEFA Cup, but lost to Cup defenders FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit is a Russian football club from the city of Saint-Petersburg. Founded in 1925 , the club plays in the Russian Premier League...
in the round of the last 32 in February.
2009–10 season: returning to the Champions League
VfB went into the season with Mario Gómez gone, but Pavel PogrebnyakPavel Pogrebnyak
Pavel Viktorovich Pogrebnyak is an association footballer currently plays as a striker with German side VfB Stuttgart and the Russian national team...
arriving from FC Zenit and Alexander Hleb returning (on loan from FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
).
On the European level, VfB started the season with a huge success by qualifying for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League 2009-10. VfB entered that competition for the third time in six years (after 2003 and 2007) by defeating Romanian side FC Timisoara in the Champions League qualification "play-off round" on 18 and 26 August 2009. VfB were drawn into Group G against Spanish side Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
, Scottish champions Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, 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 2nd spot in the group, thus qualifying for the round of the last 16, where they had to face title holders FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in late winter. After a superb home game against Barça which VfB, however, did not manage to win (1–1), they were eliminated in a 4–0 rout at the Camp Nou.
In the 2009–10 German Cup
2009–10 DFB-Pokal
The 2009–10 DFB-Pokal is the sixty-seventh season of the annual German football cup competition. It commenced on the weekend around 1 August 2009 with the matches of Round 1 and ended on 15 May 2010 with the final which is traditionally held at Olympic Stadium in Berlin...
, they didn't proceed further than the last 16 either, losing to second-tier side Greuther Fürth. That defeat came in the course of a disappointing first half of the 2009–10 Bundesliga season
2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010...
. As a consequence of slipping to 16th spot in December, young coach Markus Babbel was fired after matchday 15 and replaced by the more experienced Swiss Christian Gross
Christian Gross
Christian Gross is a professional football coach and former player who currently manages Young Boys Bern. Before that he managed VfB Stuttgart until his dismissal in October 2010. He was manager of FC Basel from 1 July 1999 to 27 May 2009.-Playing career:Gross began his playing career at...
. Under his tenure, VfB improved their situation domestically as well as internationally before the winter break. During that break, Thomas Hitzlsperger
Thomas Hitzlsperger
Thomas Hitzlsperger is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder. He plays for Bundesliga club Wolfsburg after signing a three-year deal on 17 August 2011. Hitzlsperger spent the early part of his career playing for Aston Villa in England , before returning to Germany to play for Stuttgart...
, Jan Simak
Jan Šimák
Jan Šimák is a Czech footballer who plays for FC Carl Zeiss Jena. He is an attacking midfielder well known for his powerful shot and goalscoring from midfield.-Career:...
and Ludovic Magnin
Ludovic Magnin
Ludovic Magnin is a Swiss football defender who plays for FC Zürich.-Youth teams:Magnin started his career at Echallens, where he played until 1996. He spent one season at Lausanne Sports before joining second-tier Yverdon Sports.-Professional career: Switzerland and Germany:In 1999, he made his...
left the club; Cristian Molinaro
Cristian Molinaro
Cristian Molinaro is an Italian footballer who plays as a left-back for Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart.-Early years:Cristian Molinaro was born in Vallo della Lucania, on 30 July 1983 to Emilio, who is a high school P.E. teacher, and Franca, who is an elementary school teacher and raised in Moio...
was loaned out from Juventus Turin. In the later half of the season, the team – as in 2008–09 – had a fantastic, almost unbroken, winning streak. As the best team of that second (return) round of the Bundesliga, the Swabians under Christian Gross climbed into the upper half of the table and, after a sensational rally, eventually managed to qualify for European football next season (i.e. the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League).
Stadium
The home ground of VfB Stuttgart is the Mercedes-Benz Arena which was originally built in 1933. It lies close to the River NeckarNeckar
The Neckar is a long river, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, but also a short section through Hesse, in Germany. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the River Rhine...
on Bad Cannstatt's Mercedes-Straße near the new Mercedes-Benz Museum
Mercedes-Benz Museum
The Mercedes-Benz Museum is an automotive museum housed in Stuttgart, Germany. Stuttgart is home to the Mercedes-Benz brand and the international headquarters of Daimler AG. The current building, which stands directly outside the main gate of the Daimler factory in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim, was...
and Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
factory. After being renovated several times, the stadium can hold a maximum capacity of 55,896 spectators (50,000 for international matches). Unlike most other Bundesliga stadiums, the former Neckarstadion retains the traditional athletic track around the playing field despite intentions to convert it into a football-only stadium. As for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
, Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion was one of the venues for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, hosting five preliminary round matches, a First Knockout Round match (England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
vs. Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
) and the third place play-off (Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
vs. Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
). Since the 2008–09 season, the stadium was named the Mercedes-Benz-Arena, starting with a pre-season friendly against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
on 30 July 2008. The stadium is currently undergoing extensive restructuring and rebuilding as it is being converted into a pure football arena. As building work continues, the capacity is reduced to around 41,000, while the final capacity will reach 60,000 at the end of 2011 (projected).
Rivalries, friendships and cooperations
The longest rivalry of VfB is the city rivalry with Stuttgarter KickersStuttgarter Kickers
Stuttgarter Kickers is a German association football club that plays in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, founded on 21 September 1899 as FC Stuttgarter Cickers...
(Die Roten/Reds against Die Blauen/Blues). However, the respective first teams of the two clubs haven't played each other since Kickers were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
in 1992. Thus, this derby has increasingly been overtaken in importance by the Baden-Württemberg-Derby between VfB and Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2...
, KSC, for short. In this derby, old Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
ian-Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
ian animosities are played out. The rivalry with Bavarian side FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
(Süd-/South Derby) is mainly one-sided, as VfB fans are angry at Bayern for buying some of Stuttgart's best players and coaches in recent years, such as Giovane Elber
Giovane Elber
Élber Giovane de Souza, simply Élber , is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a striker....
, Felix Magath
Felix Magath
Wolfgang-Felix Magath is a former German football central midfielder and current manager of VfL Wolfsburg.-Playing career:...
and Mario Gómez
Mario Gómez
Mario Gómez García is a German footballer who plays as a striker for FC Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga. Gómez joined Bayern after six years in Stuttgart. The fee was a record for a player transferred in the Bundesliga, estimated to be 30–35 million euro...
.
Regional friendships exist between VfB and the South Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
side SSV Reutlingen
SSV Reutlingen
SSV Reutlingen 05 is a German association football club from Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg.- History :The club was founded as FC Arminia Reutlingen and was re-named SV Reutlingen 1905 in 1910. The club fused with 1...
(little brother of VfB) as well as with North Württembergers SpVgg Ludwigsburg
SpVgg Ludwigsburg
The SpVgg Ludwigsburg is a German association football club from the city of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg.-History:The club was formed in 1907 under the name of 1. FC Ludwigsburger Kickers. In August 1907, the club then played its first game, a 0–2 loss to FC Vorwärts Stuttgart-Ostheim...
. On a national level, supporters groups of VfB used to be closely connected with those of FC Energie Cottbus, 1. FC Saarbrücken
1. FC Saarbrücken
1. FC Saarbrücken is a German association football club based in the city of Saarbrücken, Saarland. The club began its existence as the football department of Turnverein Malstatt formed in 1903...
, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
. All of these supporter group friendships have been discontinued by today or are only maintained by few supporter groups.
In 2005, a cooperation treaty between VfB and Swiss Super League
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
side FC St. Gallen
FC St. Gallen
Football Club St. Gallen 1879 is a Swiss football club based in St. Gallen. The club is currently playing in the 2011/12 Swiss Challenge League.-Brief history:...
was signed, especially with regard to the youth sectors of both clubs.
National
- German championshipGerman football championsThe German football champions are the annual winners of the highest association football competition in Germany. The history of the German football championship is complex and reflects the turbulent history of the country through the course of the 20th century.Brought to the country by English...
:- Winners (5): 1950, 1952, 1984, 1992, 2007
- Runners-up (4): 1935, 1953, 1979, 2003
- German CupDFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
:- Winners (3): 1954, 1958, 1997
- Runners-up (2): 1986, 2007
- German Super Cup:
- Winners (1): 1992
- German League Cup:
- Runners-up (3): 1997, 1998, 2005
Regional
- Oberliga Süd I:
- Winners (3): 1945–46, 1951–52, 1953–54
- Runners-up (3): 1949–50, 1952–53, 1955–56
- 2nd Bundesliga Süd II:
- Winners (1): 1977
- Bezirksliga Württemberg-BadenBezirksliga Württemberg-BadenThe Bezirksliga Württemberg-Baden was the highest association football league in the German states of Württemberg and Baden and the Prussian Province of Hohenzollern from 1923 to 1933. The league was disbanded with the rise of the Nazis to power in 1933....
:- Winners (2): 1926–27, 1929–30
- Runners-up (1): 1925–26
- Gauliga WürttembergGauliga WürttembergThe Gauliga Württemberg was the highest football league in the German state of Württemberg and the Prussian province of Hohenzollern from 1933 to 1945...
:- Winners (4): 1934–35, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1942–43
- Runners-up (4): 1938–39, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1941–42
International
- UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
:- Runners-up (1): 1988–89
- UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
:- Runners-up (1): 1997–98
- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
:- Winners (2): 2000, 2002
Youth
- German Under 19 championship
- Champions: 1973, 1975, 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2003, 2005
- Runners-up: 1972, 1977, 1982, 1999, 2002
- German Under 17 championship
- Champions: 1986, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009
- Runners-up: 1988, 1990, 1998, 2002, 2003
- Under 19 Bundesliga South/Southwest
- Champions: 2005, 2008
Club management
- Dieter Hundt, chairman, entrepreneur
- Gerd E. MäuserGerd E. MäuserGerd Ernst Mäuser is the current president of VfB Stuttgart. He was manager at BMW and Porsche AG.On 20 May 2011 the supervisory board of VfB Stuttgart presented Gerd E. Mäuser as their candidate for the election of the new president of the club. On 17 July 2011 Mäuser was elected.-References:...
, CEO & president since 17 July 2011 - Fredi Bobic, director of sport since 27 July 2010
- Jochen Schneider, director of sport
Players
As of 10 August 2011. For recent transfers, see List of German football transfers summer 2010, List of German football transfers winter 2010–11 and List of German football transfers summer 2011.Current squad
The club's current squad:Out on loan
Current coaching staff
 Bruno LabbadiaBruno Labbadia Bruno Labbadia is a former German footballer of Italian heritage who is now head coach of German Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart.- Club career :... |
Head coach |
 Eddy Sözer |
Assistant coach |
| Andreas Menger Andreas Menger Andreas Menger is a former German football player and currently goalkeeping coach of VfB Stuttgart.The netminder played in German professional football between 1997 until 2005. But merely in his first season at the Cologne side he assured a regular spot. After the Billy Goats relegated, he had... |
Goalkeeping coach |
 Christos Papadopoulos |
Fitness coach |
Coaches since 1920
Managers of the club since 1920:| Name | Period | Honors |
| Grünwald |
1920 | |
 Edward Hanney (1889–1964) |
1 July 1924 – January 1927 | Württemberg/Baden champions 1927 |
 Lajos KovácsLajos Kovács Lajos Nems Kovács was a Hungarian footballer and manager from Budapest. He is most noted for his career as a footballing manager in Italy at clubs such as Roma, Bologna and Alessandria.-References:... (b. 1894) |
September 1927 – 31 December 1929 | Württemberg champions 1929/30 |
| Emil Friz (1904–1966) |
1 January 1930 – 15 June 1930 | |
| Karl Preuß |
15 June 1930–1933 | |
| Willi Rutz (1907–1993) |
July 1933–1934 | |
| Emil Gröner (b. 1892) |
1934–1935 | |
| Fritz Teufel (b. 1910) |
1935 – 30 June 1936 | German champions German champions The German champions is the general name given to winners of a Bundesliga sporting competition in Germany.-Current German championship holders:* Football 2010–11: Women's: 1... hip runners-up 1935, Gauliga Württemberg champions 1935 |
| Leonhard "Lony" Seiderer (1895–1940) |
1 July 1936 – 30 June 1939 | Gauliga Württemberg Gauliga Württemberg The Gauliga Württemberg was the highest football league in the German state of Württemberg and the Prussian province of Hohenzollern from 1933 to 1945... champions 1937, 1938 |
| Karl Becker (1902–1942) |
March 1939 – April 1939 | |
| Josef Pöttinger Josef Pöttinger Josef Pöttinger was a German football player. His nicknames were Sepp and Pötschge. During his career he played for Bayern Munich and had 14 appearances for Germany.-Club career:... (1903–1970) |
1 May 1939 – October 1939 | |
| Fritz Teufel |
1 July 1945 – 30 June 1947 | Oberliga Süd champions 1946 |
| Georg Wurzer (1907–1982) |
1 July 1947 – 30 April 1960 | German champions German champions The German champions is the general name given to winners of a Bundesliga sporting competition in Germany.-Current German championship holders:* Football 2010–11: Women's: 1... 1950, 1952, Runners-up 1953, Oberliga Süd champions 1952, 1954, German Cup 1954, 1958 |
| Kurt Baluses (1914–1972) |
1 May 1960 – 24 February 1965 | |
| Franz Seybold (1912–1978) |
25 February 1965 – 7 March 1965 | |
| Rudi Gutendorf Rudi Gutendorf Rudolf "Rudi" Gutendorf is a German football manager, renowned for managing the highest number of national teams – to date a total of 18 teams.- Career :... (b. 1926) |
8 March 1965 – 6 December 1966 | |
| Albert Sing (1917–2008) |
7 December 1966 – 30 June 1967 | |
| Gunther Baumann (1921–1998) |
1 July 1967 – 30 June 1969 | |
| Franz Seybold |
Juli 1, 1969 – 30 June 1970 | |
 Branko ZebecBranko Zebec Branislav "Branko" Zebec was a Croatian football player and coach... (1929–1988) |
1 July 1970 – 18 April 1972 | |
| Karl Bögelein (b. 1927) |
19 April 1972 – 30 June 1972 | |
| Hermann Eppenhoff Hermann Eppenhoff Hermann Eppenhoff was a German football player and manager.- Career :The forward was a member of FC Schalke 04 squad, which won the German Championship in the years 1939, 1940 and 1942... (1919–1992) |
1 July 1972 – 1 December 1974 | |
| Fritz Millinger |
2 December 1974 – 13 December 1974 | |
| Albert Sing |
14 December 1974 – 30 June 1975 | |
 István SztaniIstván Sztani István Sztáni is a former football manager and a retired Hungarian football striker.Sztani left Hungary for Eintracht Frankfurt and faced a one year FIFA ban. With the Main siders he won the German championship in 1959. At the end of the season he moved to Standard Liège of Belgium and stayed... (b. 1937) |
1 July 1975 – 31 March 1976 | |
| Karl Bögelein |
1 April 1976 – 30 June 1976 | |
| Hans-Jürgen Sundermann (b. 1940) |
1 July 1976 – 30 June 1979 | Bundesliga runners-up 1979 |
| Lothar Buchmann (b. 1936) |
1 July 1979 – 30 June 1980 | |
| Hans-Jürgen Sundermann |
1 July 1980 – 30 June 1982 | |
| Helmut Benthaus Helmut Benthaus Helmut Benthaus is a German retired football player and former coach. He spent his best playing days at Westfalia Herne and his best coaching days at FC Basel.-Playing career:... (b. 1935) |
1 July 1982 – 30 June 1985 | German champions 1984 |
 Otto BarićOtto Baric Otto Barić is a Croatian-Austrian football manager.-1970s to 1980s:Barić started his coaching career in 1969 at West German club Germania Wiesbaden and moved after one season to Austrian club Wacker Innsbruck, where he spent next two seasons and won two consecutive league champions titles before... (b. 1932) |
1 July 1985 – 4 March 1986 | |
| Willi Entenmann Willi Entenmann Willi Entenmann is a German football coach and a former player. The best result he achieved as a coach in the Bundesliga was the fifth place in 1986.-External links:* at transfermarkt.de... (b. 1943) |
5 March 1986 – 30 June 1986 | German Cup runners-up 1986 |
| Egon Coordes Egon Coordes Egon Coordes is a former German football player and, now, coach.He began his career at Regionalliga North side TuS Bremerhaven 93 but quickly moved to the Bundesliga, playing the rest of his career at just two clubs: Werder Bremen and VfB Stuttgart as a defender... (b. 1944) |
1 July 1986 – 30 June 1987 | |
 Arie Haan (b. 1948) |
1 July 1987 – 26 March 1990 | UEFA Cup runners-up 1989 |
| Willi Entenmann Willi Entenmann Willi Entenmann is a German football coach and a former player. The best result he achieved as a coach in the Bundesliga was the fifth place in 1986.-External links:* at transfermarkt.de... |
27 March 1990 – 19 November 1990 | |
| Christoph Daum Christoph Daum Christoph Daum is a German football coach, currently managing Club Brugge.-Career as a player:Daum began his football career in 1971 in the youth league with Hamborn 07, transferred in 1972 to Eintracht Duisburg and then in 1975 to 1... (b. 1953) |
20 November 1990 – 10 December 1993 | German champions 1992 |
| Jürgen Röber Jürgen Röber Jürgen Röber is a German football player and manager, who is head coach of Ankaraspor.-Early life:In 1956 his family moved from the then GDR to Bertlich in Northrhine-Westphalia. There he grew up and started his football career at SuS Bertlich.-Career:His Bundesliga career lasted 12 years with one... (b. 1953) |
15 December 1993 – 25 April 1995 | |
| Jürgen Sundermann |
26 April 1995 – 30 June 1995 | |
 Rolf Fringer (b. 1957) |
1 July 1995 – 13 August 1996 | |
| Joachim Löw (b. 1960) |
14 August 1996 – 30 June 1998 | German Cup 1997, Cup Winners' Cup runners up 1998 |
| Winfried Schäfer (b. 1950) |
1 July 1998 – 4 December 1998 | |
| Wolfgang Rolff Wolfgang Rolff Wolfgang Rolff is a German football manager and former player.-Career as player:Wolfgang Rolff played in 356 Bundesliga matches for Hamburger SV, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Bayer 05 Uerdingen, Karlsruher SC and 1. FC Köln... (b. 1959) |
5 December 1998 – 31 December 1998 | |
| Rainer Adrion Rainer Adrion Rainer Adrion is a German football manager and former defender, currently managing the Germany U-21 team.-Coaching career:... (b. 1953) |
1 January 1999 – 2 May 1999 | |
| Ralf Rangnick (b. 1958) |
3 May 1999 – 23 February 2001 | |
| Felix Magath Felix Magath Wolfgang-Felix Magath is a former German football central midfielder and current manager of VfL Wolfsburg.-Playing career:... (b. 1953) |
24 February 2001 – 30 June 2004 | Bundesliga runners-up 2003 |
| Matthias Sammer Matthias Sammer Matthias Sammer is a retired German football player and coach who is now working as technical director of the DFB . He played as a midfielder, and later in his career as a sweeper.... (b. 1967) |
1 July 2004 – 3 June 2005 | |
 Giovanni TrapattoniGiovanni Trapattoni Giovanni Trapattoni , sometimes known as "Trap" or "Il Trap", is an Italian football coach and former player, considered the most successful club coach in the history of Serie A. As a player he was part of Italy's squad at the 1962 FIFA World Cup.... (b. 1939) |
17 June 2005 – 9 February 2006 | |
| Armin Veh Armin Veh Armin Veh is a German former footballer and current manager who works for Eintracht Frankfurt. He won the German championship with Bundesliga team VfB Stuttgart on 19 May 2007. Veh and his team also had the chance to win "the double" by winning the DFB-Cup on 26 May 2007 in Berlin, but lost 2–3 in... (b. 1961) |
10 February 2006 – 23 November 2008 | German champions 2007, German Cup runners-up 2007 |
| Markus Babbel Markus Babbel Markus Babbel is a former international German football player, who is currently manager of German Bundesliga club Hertha BSC. He played as a defender for clubs in Germany and England.-Career:... (b. 1972) |
23 November 2008 – 6 December 2009 | |
 Christian GrossChristian Gross Christian Gross is a professional football coach and former player who currently manages Young Boys Bern. Before that he managed VfB Stuttgart until his dismissal in October 2010. He was manager of FC Basel from 1 July 1999 to 27 May 2009.-Playing career:Gross began his playing career at... (b. 1954) |
6 December 2009 – 13 October 2010 | |
| Jens Keller Jens Keller Jens Keller is a retired German football defender, who was most recently head coach of VfB Stuttgart.-Career:... (b. 1970) |
13 October 2010 – 12 December 2010 | |
| Bruno Labbadia Bruno Labbadia Bruno Labbadia is a former German footballer of Italian heritage who is now head coach of German Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart.- Club career :... (b. 1966) |
12 December 2010 – |
Bundesliga Position
The season-by-season performance of the club since 1963:- 1963–64 – 5th place
- 1964–65 – 12th place
- 1965–66 – 11th place
- 1966–67 – 12th place
- 1967–68 – 8th place
- 1968–69 – 5th place
- 1969–70 – 7th place
- 1970–71 – 12th place
- 1971–72 – 8th place
- 1972–73 – 6th place
- 1973–74 – 9th place
- 1974–75 – 16th place (relegated to the 2. Bundesliga)
- 1975–76 – 2. Bundesliga, 11th place
- 1976–77 – 2. Bundesliga, 1st place (promoted to the 1. Bundesliga)
- 1977–78 – 4th place
- 1978–79 – 2nd place
- 1979–80 – 3rd place
- 1980–81 – 3rd place
- 1981–82 – 9th place
- 1982–83 – 3rd place
- 1983–84 – 1st (German champions)
- 1984–85 – 10th place
- 1985–86 – 5th place
- 1986–87 – 12th place
- 1987–88 – 4th place
- 1988–89 – 5th place
- 1989–90 – 6th place
- 1990–91 – 6th place
- 1991–92 – 1st (German champions)
- 1992–93 – 7th place
- 1993–94 – 7th place
- 1994–95 – 12th place
- 1995–96 – 10th place
- 1996–97 – 4th place
- 1997–98 – 4th place
- 1998–99 – 11th place
- 1999–00 – 8th place
- 2000–01 – 15th place
- 2001–02 – 8th place
- 2002–03 – 2nd place
- 2003–04 – 4th place
- 2004–05 – 5th place
- 2005–06 – 9th place
- 2006–07 – 1st (German champions)
- 2007–08 – 6th place
- 2008–09 – 3rd place
- 2009–102009–10 Fußball-BundesligaThe 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010...
– 6th place - 2010–112010–11 Fußball-BundesligaThe 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 48th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and ended with the last games on 14 May 2011. The winter...
– 12th place
External links
- VfB Stuttgart 1893e.V. – Official team site
- HefleswetzKick – VfB Stuttgart Team and History Site
- Abseits Guide to German Soccer
- f-archiv – The German Soccer-Archiv historical German football league tables (in German)
- eufo.de European football club profiles
- Team statistics