Having qualified for the DFB-Pokal final last week, VfB Stuttgart are in with its best chance to win silverware since its last major trophy in 2007. This would have been hard to imagine just two years ago, when they sat rock bottom of the Bundesliga table.
However, since taking over in April 2023, Sebastian Hoeneß has not only guided the side to safety via a relegation play-off but, in his first full season, guided Die Roten (The Reds) to a 2nd place finish and Champions League qualification. Now, the 42-year-old German coach is hoping to win the club’s fourth ever German Cup in May.
So, how did Hoeneß manage to take a sleeping giant back to competing at the top of German football?
Background
Hoeneß is the son of former Bayern Munich/Germany striker, Dieter Hoeneß and the nephew of German legend and Bayern president, Uli Hoeneß.
Naturally, this pushed the young coach into the world of football, making 174 professional appearances as an attacking midfielder for Hertha Berlin II and Hoffenheim. However, he never made an appearance in the German top division.
Just one year after hanging up his boots in 2010, Hoeneß entered the dugout, coaching a number of youth teams across German football. In the 2019/2020 season, he undertook his first relatively high-profile job – the Bayern reserves. In this role, Hoeneß led the newly-promoted team to the 3rd division title and, in doing so, became the first ever reserve side to win 3. Liga.
After this, he missed out Bundesliga 2 and took a job in the top division with Hoffenheim in 2020. After finishing 11th in his first season and 9th in his second, he parted via mutual consent. Whilst far from a failure (Hoffenheim currently sit 14th in the Bundesliga), this stint taught the coach a lot about top flight football, lessons he took with him to his current role at Stuttgart.
Tactical Set-Up
Hoeneß is relatively tactically variable, but he has a number of key principles and beliefs we will see in his teams no matter the formation.
Stuttgart most commonly set up in a 4-4-2 formation. However, throughout his career we have also seen Hoeneß’s sides set up in a 4-2-3-1 and 3-5-2.
Like most top teams, Stuttgart looks to dominate possession. However, due to their 4-4-2 set up, their build-up looks different to your typical possession-based teams. In the 2023/2024 season, Hoeneß’s side had the third-highest possession in the league (57%) paired with the highest number of progressive passes per 90 minutes. This shows a team who moves the ball with intent. Throughout his tenure, Die Roten has attacked at pace and with a fluidity that is reminiscent of a Hansi Flick side.
Stuttgart also heavily utilises overlapping fullbacks to create chances from out wide. In four of his five seasons Hoeneß has coached in the Bundesliga (including this year), his sides have registered at least the third most crosses in the league. Another important aspect of this is their willingness to fill the box with options. In addition to the two centre forwards, the midfielders are granted permission to get into the box when appropriate, and the opposite fullback will often occupy space at the back post.
Out of possession, Stuttgart could be characterised as a mid-block with a very effective counter-press. Where their defensive line sits depends upon their opponents, often pushing up against weaker teams, but it is never too extreme. Furthermore, when set defensively, they look for certain triggers on when to press, often looking to isolate the opposition fullback.
Current Season
Despite reaching the DFB-Pokal final, Stuttgart have dropped to 9th in the table this season, although they are only 6 points off 4th.
This slightly disappointing league form is, however, quite easily explainable. Firstly, Stuttgart sold their top goalscorer, Serhou Guirassy, to Borussia Dortmund over the summer, as well as their starting centre back, Hiroki Ito, to Bayern Munich. These were two huge losses to the team and their replacements are simply not at the same level.
Moreover, Stuttgart has a very low transfer expenditure and, because of this, their squad is quite thin. Having to also compete in the Champions League this season put a real strain on the fitness of key players who weren’t allowed much rest. This has not only meant Stuttgart have suffered from injuries but have also looked fatigued during particularly busy periods of the season.
Therefore, still competing for another top 4 finish whilst also reaching a cup final is actually another very successful season for the German manager.
Conclusion
Having just signed a new contract until 2028, Hoeneß will be hard to pry away from Stuttgart this summer. However, with it looking likely a number of high-profile clubs could be looking for managers come the end of the season, Sebastian Hoeneß is certainly a name to keep an eye on.
