VfB Stuttgart

Football club infobox
clubname = VfB Stuttgart


fullname = Verein für Bewegungsspiele
Stuttgart 1893 e. V.
nickname = "Die Roten"
"Die Schwaben"
"Die jungen Wilden"
founded = 1893
ground = Mercedes-Benz Arena,
Stuttgart
capacity = 55,896
chairman = flagicon|Germany Erwin Staudt
manager = flagicon|Germany Armin Veh
captain = flagicon|Germany Hitzlsperger
league = Bundesliga
season = 2007–08
position = Bundesliga, 6th
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pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_whitehorizontal|pattern_ra2=|pattern_sh2=_white stripes|pattern_so2=_whitehorizontal
leftarm2=FF0000|body2=FF0000|rightarm2=FF0000|shorts2=FF0000|socks2=FF0000
pattern_la3=_shoulder stripes white stripes half|pattern_b3=_redhorizontal|pattern_ra3=|pattern_sh3=_red stripes|pattern_so3=_redtop
leftarm3=000000|body3=000000|rightarm3=000000|shorts3=000000|socks3=000000

Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. With 43,000 members (as of September 2007), "VfB" is the largest sports club in the state and the fifth largest in the country. 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 Cannstatter Wasen sports complex. Its reserve team, VfB Stuttgart II, currently plays in the 3rd Liga, two divisions below the first team.

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".

History

Foundation to WWII

and football from English pioneers.

FV Stuttgart

. 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. [ [http://www.hefleswetzkick.de/VFB/VFB_Inside/Chronik/1900_1909/Chronik/Stgt/09.htm Chronik 19 ] ] 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") [ [http://www.hefleswetzkick.de/VFB/VFB_Inside/Chronik/1900_1909/Chronik/Stgt/07.htm Chronik 19 ] ] , 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 Südkreisliga 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. [" [http://www.hefleswetzkick.de/VFB/VFB_Inside/Chronik/1890_1899/Chronik/Cann/07.htm Vereinschronik Kronen-Club 1897] "] 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 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.

1933–1945

In 1933 German football was re-organized under the Third Reich into sixteen top-flight divisions called Gauligen. "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.

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 Cup (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.

1963 Bundesliga

Due to international competition that led to disappointing results in the 1958 and 1962 World Cup, DFB introduced a single professional league in 1963. "Stuttgart"'s 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).

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 Bundesliga, 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 4th, 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, they fell to SSC 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 CA 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, "Stuttgart"'s 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-Vorfelder finally resigned from VfB in 2000 to take over offices at DFB, 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 one of Germany's most successful programs in the .

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.

Champions League 2003–04

Thus, VfB qualified for their second Champions League 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 UEFA Champions League 2003-04).

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 Kuranyi for Schalke 04, Philipp Lahm for Bayern Munich and Aliaksandr 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 FC Hansa Rostock in 2003 to focus on his family and having no football job since 2004 except coaching his home team FC Augsburg for a season. Supported by new manager Horst Heldt, Veh could establish himself and his concept of focussing 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 Pavel Pardo, and Ricardo Osorio, and Brazilian Antônio da Silva and fresh local talents, including Mario Gomez, 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 Bochum 3–2 away from home, took the Bundesliga lead from FC 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 World Cup.

In addition, VfB Stuttgart 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 ago. Their opponents in the cup final in Berlin were 1. FC 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 equalise. In the second half of extra time, with both teams suffering from exhaustion and the humid conditions, Nuremberg scored the winning goal. Stuttgart will have a cup winner in its ranks anyway for the 2007–08 season as Nuremberg's captain Raphael Schäfer replaces goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand who had decided in winter to leave and will play for Valencia next season.

Champions League 2007–08

The 2007–08 UEFA Champions League draw on August 30, 2007 paired the German champions with Spanish giants FC Barcelona, French champions Olympique Lyonnais and Scottish Old Firm side Rangers. Like in the 2003–04 CL 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 F.C. Barcelona was lost, too, 0–2, as well as the 3rd match, against Olympique Lyonnais at home, with the visitors coming out 2–0 winners from 2nd half strikes.In the league they only managed to become 6th, with Mario Gomez scoring 19 goals.

Stadium

The home ground of "VfB Stuttgart" is the Mercedes-Benz Arena which was originally built in 1933. It lies close to the River Neckar 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). From the 2008–09 season, the stadium will be renamed the Mercedes-Benz-Arena, starting with a pre-season friendly against Arsenal on July 30, 2008. [ [http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=News&article=489665&lid=NewsHeadline&Title=Friendly+against+VfB+Stuttgart+announced Arsenal: Friendly against VfB Stuttgart announced] ]

Honours

International competition:
* Cup Winners' Cup finalists: 1998
* UEFA Cup finalists: 1989
* UEFA Intertoto Cup winners: 2000, 2002, 2008

National competition:
* German football champions: 1950, 1952, 1984, 1992, 2007
* German runners-up: 1935, 1953, 1979, 2003
* German Cup winners: 1954, 1958, 1997
* German Cup finalists: 1986, 2007
* German Supercup winners: 1992
* League Cup finalists: 2005

Regional competition:
* Oberliga Süd (I) champions: 1946, 1952, 1954
* 2nd Bundesliga Süd (II) champions: 1977
* Bezirksliga Württemberg-Baden champions: 1927, 1930
* Gauliga Württemberg champions: 1935, 1937, 1938, 1943

Trivia

* The merger that created "VfB" was held in the Concordia hotel in Bad Cannstatt, a district of the city of Stuttgart.
* "VfB" are nicknamed "the Reds" for their team colours, featuring a red "chest ring" on white jerseys. Local rivals Stuttgarter Kickers, wearing blue and white, are "the Blues".
* In the 2006–07 Season "VfB Stuttgart" started using the song "Bro Hymn" by Pennywise as their goal celebration music.

Club management

* Dieter Hundt, chairman, entrepreneur
* Erwin Staudt, CEO & president since 26 June 2003
* Horst Heldt, general manager, former Bundesliga player (since 1990, for VfB 2003-2005)

Players

Current squad

"For recent transfers, see List of German football transfers summer 2008."

Notable Players (Past and Present)

* Karl Allgöwer, 10 caps for Germany
* Markus Babbel, 51 caps for Germany, Euro 1996 winner
* Thomas Berthold, 62 caps for Germany, World Cup 1990 winner
* Fredi Bobic, 37 caps for Germany, Euro 1996 winner
* Guido Buchwald, 76 caps for Germany, World Cup 1990 winner
* Bernd Förster, 33 caps for Germany, Euro 1980 winner
* Karlheinz Förster, 81 caps for Germany, Euro 1980 winner
* Michael Frontzeck, 19 caps for Germany
* Maurizio Gaudino, 5 caps for Germany
* Mario Gómez, 18 caps for Germany
* Horst Heldt, 2 caps for Germany
* Timo Hildebrand, 7 caps for Germany
* Andreas Hinkel, 19 caps for Germany
* Thomas Hitzlsperger, 41 caps for Germany
* Dieter Hoeneß, 6 caps for Germany
* Eike Immel, 19 caps for Germany, Euro 1980 winner
* Jürgen Klinsmann, 108 caps and 47 goals for Germany, World Cup 1990 and Euro 1996 winner
* Ludwig Kögl, 2 caps for Germany
* Kevin Kurányi, 52 caps and 19 goals for Germany
* Philipp Lahm, 50 caps for Germany
* Jens Lehmann, 61 caps for Germany
* Dieter Müller, 12 caps for Germany
* Hansi Müller, 42 caps for Germany, Euro 1980 winner
* Matthias Sammer, 51 caps for Germany, Euro 1996 winner, European Footballer of the year 1996
* Thomas Strunz, 41 caps for Germany, Euro 1996 winner
* Fritz Walter, Bundesliga top scorer 1991/92
* José Basualdo, 31 caps for Argentina
* Martin Stranzl, 51 caps for Austria
* Franz Wohlfahrt, 59 caps for Austria
* Aliaksandr Hleb, 41 caps for Belarus
* Adhemar, Brazilian top scorer 2000
* Marcelo Bordon, 1 cap for Brazil
* Dunga, 91 caps for Brazil, World Cup 1994 winner
* Giovane Élber, 15 caps for Brazil, Bundesliga top scorer 2002/2003
* Ewerthon, 7 caps for Brazil
* Krassimir Balakov, 92 caps for Bulgaria
* Arthur Boka, 28 caps for Côte d'Ivoire
* Zvonimir Soldo, 61 caps for Croatia
* Jurica Vranješ, 26 caps for Croatia
* Boris Živković, 39 caps for Croatia
* Pavel Kuka, 87 caps and 29 goals for CSFR and Czech Republic
* Jan Šimák, 1 cap for Czech Republic
* Jesper Grønkjær, 70 caps for Denmark
* Jon Dahl Tomasson, 102 caps and 51 goals for Denmark
* Ahmed Salah Hosny, 30 caps for Egypt
* Gilbert Gress, 3 caps for France
* Didier Six, 52 caps for France, Euro 1984 winner
* Ioannis Amanatidis, 31 caps for Greece
* Krisztián Lisztes, 49 caps for Hungary
* Imre Szabics, 21 caps and 9 goals for Hungary
* Ásgeir Sigurvinsson, 45 caps for Iceland
* Eyjólfur Sverrisson, 66 caps for Iceland
* Ricardo Osorio, 58 caps for Mexico
* Pável Pardo, 142 caps for Mexico
* Khalid Boulahrouz, 26 caps for the Netherlands
* Frank Verlaat, 1 cap for the Netherlands
* Jonathan Akpoborie, 12 caps for Nigeria
* Samuel Okwaraji, 4 caps for Nigeria
* Radosław Gilewicz, former Polish international
* Fernando Meira, 53 caps for Portugal
* Ionel Ganea, 45 caps and 19 goals for Romania
* Ciprian Marica, 27 caps for Romania
* Florin Răducioiu, 40 caps and 21 goals for Romania
* Danijel Ljuboja, 18 caps for Serbia
* Bradley Carnell, 34 caps for South Africa
* Alexander Farnerud, 4 caps for Sweden
* Jan Olsson, 22 caps for Sweden
* Diego Benaglio, 16 caps for Switzerland
* Sébastien Fournier, participant at World Cup 1994 and Euro 1996
* Adrian Knup, 49 caps and 26 goals for Switzerland
* Ludovic Magnin, 56 caps for Switzerland
* Marco Streller, 26 caps and 11 goals for Switzerland
* Hakan Yakin, 72 caps and 20 goals for Switzerland
* Murat Yakin, 49 caps for Switzerland
* Yıldıray Baştürk, 45 caps for Turkey
* Srečko Katanec, 36 caps for Yugoslavia and Slovenia

Managers/coaches

Prominent and important Coaches

* Georg Wurzer
* Branko Zebec
* Otto Barić
* Helmut Benthaus
* Arie Haan
* Christoph Daum
* Joachim Löw (currently the coach of Germany)
* Felix Magath
* Matthias Sammer
* Giovanni Trapattoni
* Armin Veh

Bundesliga Position

* 2007/08 - 6th place
* 2006/07 - 1st (German champions)
* 2005/06 - 9th place
* 2004/05 - 5th place
* 2003/04 - 4th place
* 2002/03 - 2nd place
* 2001/02 - 8th place
* 2000/01 - 15th place
* 1999/00 - 8th place
* 1998/99 - 11th place
* 1997/98 - 4th place
* 1996/97 - 4th place
* 1995/96 - 10th place
* 1994/95 - 12th place
* 1993/94 - 7th place
* 1992/93 - 7th place
* 1991/92 - 1st (German champions)
* 1990/91 - 6th place
* 1989/90 - 6th place
* 1988/89 - 5th place
* 1987/88 - 4th place
* 1986/87 - 12th place
* 1985/86 - 5th place
* 1984/85 - 10th place
* 1983/84 - 1st (German champions)
* 1982/83 - 3rd place
* 1981/82 - 9th place
* 1980/81 - 3rd place
* 1979/80 - 3rd place
* 1978/79 - 2nd place
* 1977/78 - 4th place
* 1976/77 - 2. Bundesliga, 1st place (promoted to the 1. Bundesliga)
* 1975/76 - 2. Bundesliga, 11th place
* 1974/75 - 16th place (relegated to the 2. Bundesliga)
* 1973/74 - 9th place
* 1972/73 - 6th place
* 1971/72 - 8th place
* 1970/71 - 12th place
* 1969/70 - 7th place
* 1968/69 - 5th place
* 1967/68 - 8th place
* 1966/67 - 12th place
* 1965/66 - 11th place
* 1964/65 - 12th place
* 1963/64 - 5th place

References

External links

* [http://www.vfb.de/ Official team site]
* [http://www.pausenberger.com/vfb_stuttgart_deutscher_meister_2007_feier.html photos of the party in the streets of Stuttgart after the championship victory 2007]
* [http://www.abseits-soccer.com/clubs/stuttgart.html Abseits Guide to German Soccer]
* [http://www.f-archiv.de/ Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv] historical German football league tables (in German)
* [http://www.eufo.de/ eufo.de] European football club profiles
* [http://www.hefleswetzkick.de Fansite]
* [http://www.resultsfromfootball.com/bundesliga-team/vfbstuttgart.html Team statistics]
* [http://www.vfbfanwelt.de Free VfB Stuttgart Fanportal]