2017-18 Bundesliga Preview: VfB Stuttgart back where they belong?

A trip back to the Bundesliga for Julian Green

As part of our season preview, we will be profiling all 18 clubs in the Bundesliga, and how we think they will fair during the coming season. Today, we will be focusing on VfB Stuttgart.

LAST SEASON

VfB Stuttgart had to process the fact they were no longer a part of Germany’s top league anymore when they got relegated after the 2015/16 season. Emotions were running high and the Stuttgart-faithful expected an immediate return to the Bundesliga.

However their quest for promotion was in trouble after 2 losses in the first 4 games. Add some internal problems to that and the fate of coach Jos Luhukay was quickly decided. Stuttgart needed a new coach and turned to BVB II standout Hannes Wolf to lead them back to the highest German football league and he delivered.

In the end Stuttgart justified their role as the favorite and got promoted. It wasn’t all plain sailing with them even having a five-game spell without a victory but they prevailed and finished in first place.

TRANSFER SUMMARY

Transfers in:

• Chadrac Akolo - 6€ million
• Anastasios Donis - 4€ million
• Ron-Robert Zieler - 4€ million
• Orel Mangala - 1.8€ million
• Ailton - 1€ million
• Holger Badstuber - Free transfer
• Dzenis Burnic - Loan

Transfers out:

• Alexandru Maxim - 3€ million
• Toni Sunjic - 0.7€ million
• Florian Klein - Free agent

OUTLOOK

VfB Stuttgart aren’t your usual newly promoted team, they were Bundesliga champions as recent as 2006/07 and are still one of the bigger German teams with loads of potential. Sadly this club was severely mismanaged for years but they are on the upswing. Daimler is now one of the major shareholders of VfB AG and are looking to help the club financially. Furthermore they recently turned heads when they appointed Michael Reschke as their new sporting director, Reschke worked for Bayern Munich and was their head of scouting.

While the club is looking to get back to the top, this season will be all about establishing themselves back in the Bundesliga. They already had a talented squad and made some smart moves by adding even more talent to their squad with ex-BVB player Mangala, BVB-loanee Burnic and Akolo and Donis. Moreover the additions of Zieler and Badstuber should add some much needed experience to the squad.

Stuttgart should be an exciting team to watch with a playing style that focuses mostly on a free-flowing offense albeit with a sometimes chaotic defense. Their games should be fun to watch and difficult to predict.

PREDICTION: 10th Place

Usually the newly promoted teams that aren’t named RB Leipzig will have to fight relegation until the very end but with this roster Stuttgart should be well equipped to stay away from the relegation zone and finish in a comfortable spot in the middle of the table. Add in a bit of luck and a breakout season from a couple of their youngsters and they might even surprise a few people.