VfB Stuttgart facts for kids
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| Full name | Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V. | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Die Roten (The Reds) Die Schwaben (The Swabians) |
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| Short name | VfB | |||
| Founded | 9 September 1893 | |||
| Ground | MHPArena | |||
| Capacity | 60,058 | |||
| President | Dietmar Allgaier | |||
| Chairman | Alexander Wehrle | |||
| Head coach | Sebastian Hoeneß | |||
| League | Bundesliga | |||
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga, 9th of 18 | |||
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VfB Stuttgart is a famous German professional sports club from Stuttgart. Their main team plays football in the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top league. The club is also known as Die Roten (The Reds) or Die Schwaben (The Swabians).
VfB Stuttgart has won the German national championship five times. Their most recent win was in the 2006–07 season. They have also won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) four times. The club holds a record for winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup twice. In the history of the Bundesliga, VfB Stuttgart ranks as the fourth-best team.
The football team plays its home games at the MHPArena. This stadium is in the Neckarpark area of Stuttgart. VfB Stuttgart is a club with over 100,000 members. This makes it the largest sports club in Baden-Württemberg. It is also the eighth-largest football club in Germany.
Besides football, VfB Stuttgart has other sports sections. These include fistball, field hockey, and track and field. They also have teams for table tennis and football referees. All these other teams play at an amateur level. The club also has an esports department.
Contents
- Club History: How VfB Stuttgart Started
- VfB Stuttgart: From the 1970s to 2000
- VfB Stuttgart: From 2000 to 2007
- VfB Stuttgart: From 2007 to Today
- Team Kits
- Club Badges and Logos
- Home Stadium: MHPArena
- Rivalries and Friendships
- Club Achievements
- Club Management
- Current Players
- Famous Former Players
- Coaching Staff
- Bundesliga Performance Over the Years
- See also
Club History: How VfB Stuttgart Started
Early Days: Rugby and Football Beginnings
VfB Stuttgart was created on April 2, 1912. This happened when two older clubs, Stuttgarter FV and FC Krone Cannstatt, joined together. They met at the Concordia hotel in Cannstatt to make this happen. Both original clubs were started by school students. These students learned new sports like rugby union and football from English people living in Germany.
Stuttgarter FV: From Rugby to Football
Stuttgarter Fußballverein was founded on September 9, 1893. At first, FV was a rugby club. They played their games at Stöckach-Eisbahn. Later, they moved to Cannstatter Wasen in 1894.
In 1908, the rugby club started a football section. Teachers like Carl Kaufmann helped the team get players from local schools. They quickly became successful. In 1909, they were runners-up in the national rugby final. They lost 6–3 to FSV 1897 Hannover. Soon, football became more popular than rugby at the club. Many fans found rugby too hard to understand.
In 1909, FV joined the South German Football Association. They played in the second division, called B-Klasse. In their second season, FV won a local final. They beat Kronen-Klub Cannstatt, which would later merge with them. They eventually moved up to the top league, the Südkreis-Liga, in 1912.
Kronenclub Cannstatt: A Football-Only Club
Cannstatter Fußballklub started as a rugby club in 1890. They also quickly formed a football team. This club closed after a few years. But its former members started a new club, FC Krone Cannstatt, in 1897. This new club focused only on football.
Krone joined the South German Football Association as a second division club. They earned promotion in 1904. Krone even had its own football ground. This ground is still used today by another club, TSV Münster. After the two clubs merged in 1912, the new VfB Stuttgart team played in the Kreisliga Württemberg. They later played in the Bezirksliga Württemberg-Baden. They often finished in the top three and won a title there in 1927.
VfB Stuttgart in the 1930s and 1940s
In 1933, VfB Stuttgart moved to the Neckar Stadium. This is where their current stadium stands. In the same year, German football was reorganized. Sixteen top divisions, called Gauligen, were created. Stuttgart played in the Gauliga Württemberg. They won division titles in 1935, 1937, 1938, 1940, and 1943. The Gauliga system stopped during the 1944–45 season because of World War II. VfB had a strong rivalry with Stuttgarter Kickers during this time.
VfB's Gauliga titles allowed them to play in the national playoffs. Their best result was in 1935. They reached the final but lost 4–6 to Schalke 04. Schalke was the strongest team back then. After finishing third nationally in 1937, Stuttgart could not get past the early rounds in later attempts.
Winning Titles in the 1950s
VfB continued to play in the top division, the Oberliga Süd. They won titles in 1946, 1952, and 1954. They regularly played in the German championship rounds. They became national champions in 1950 and 1952. They finished as runners-up in 1953.
The team also won two DFB-Pokal (German Cup) titles. These wins were in 1954 and 1958. The team that won four titles in eight years was led by Robert Schlienz. He had lost his left arm in a car accident. Even with these successes, no Stuttgart player was on the team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
Joining the Bundesliga: A New Era
In 1963, the German Football Association (DFB) created a single national professional league. This new league was called the Bundesliga. Stuttgart's strong performance in the 1950s earned them a spot. They were one of the 16 original clubs in the Bundesliga.
At first, the club was an amateur organization. They were careful with money. Some players even kept their regular jobs. For about ten years, until the mid-1970s, the club usually finished in the middle of the league table. In 1973, the team qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time. They reached the semi-finals of the 1974 tournament. They were knocked out by Feyenoord.
VfB Stuttgart: From the 1970s to 2000
Overcoming Challenges and Rising Again
In the mid-1970s, VfB Stuttgart faced problems. They had not kept up with new trends in football, like club sponsorships. They tried to become more professional by spending money, but it didn't work. By the end of the 1974–75 season, the team was in danger of being relegated.
Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, a local politician, became the new president. But a draw in the last game meant VfB finished 16th and lost its Bundesliga spot. Their first season in the second league was very tough. They finished 11th and even lost a home game to local rival SSV Reutlingen with only 1,200 fans watching.
With a new coach, Jürgen Sundermann, and talented young players like Karlheinz Förster and Hansi Müller, the team improved. In 1976–77, they scored 100 goals. This helped them return to the top league after just two seasons.
The young team was known for its attacking and high-scoring style. But they lacked experience. At the end of 1977–78, VfB finished fourth. Their average attendance of over 53,000 fans set a league record that lasted until the 1990s. In 1978–79, they finished second in the Bundesliga.
They reached another UEFA Cup semi-final in 1980. They consistently finished in the top four. This led to their first Bundesliga title – the club's third national title – in the 1983–84 season. This was under coach Helmut Benthaus.
In 1986, VfB lost the DFB-Pokal final 2–5 to Bayern Munich. In the 1989 UEFA Cup Final, with star player Jürgen Klinsmann, they lost to Napoli. Diego Maradona was playing for Napoli at that time.
In 1991–92, Stuttgart won its fourth title. It was one of the closest races in Bundesliga history. They finished ahead of Borussia Dortmund because they had scored more goals. As national champions, the club played in the UEFA Champions League in 1992–93. However, they were knocked out in the first round by Leeds United. This happened after a special tie-breaking match in Barcelona.
VfB did not qualify for European competitions again until 1997. This was thanks to their third German Cup win, with coach Joachim Löw. They reached the 1998 European Cup Winners' Cup final. They lost to Chelsea in that match. After this, the team's performance dropped. They finished in the middle of the league table for the next two seasons.
VfB Stuttgart: From 2000 to 2007
Building a New Team and Finding Success
Due to high debts and poor results, Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder left VfB in 2000. He took on new roles at the DFB, UEFA, and FIFA. The new president, Manfred Haas, had to fix expensive player contracts. Just like in 1976, the team had to be rebuilt. They started using talented players from their youth teams. VfB has Germany's most successful youth program.
Coach Ralf Rangnick began to reorganize the team. They won the Intertoto Cup. But the extra games from the UEFA Cup participation caused problems. In 2001, they barely avoided relegation. They finished 15th in the league. Rangnick was replaced by Felix Magath.
With players like Andreas Hinkel, Kevin Kurányi, Timo Hildebrand, and Alexander Hleb, the team became known as "the young and wild." The club quickly improved. They finished as Bundesliga runners-up in the 2002–03 season. In July 2003, Erwin Staudt became the new president.
Playing in the Champions League (2003–04)
VfB qualified for their second Champions League appearance in 2003–04. They beat Manchester United once and Rangers once. They also beat Panathinaikos twice. This helped them move past the group stage as runners-up to Manchester United.
In the next round, they played against Chelsea. They lost 0–1 in the first game and drew 0–0 in the second. So, they were knocked out. Stuttgart continued to be one of the top teams in Germany. They finished fourth and fifth in the Bundesliga in 2003–04 and 2004–05. They also played in the UEFA Cup, but without much success. Coach Magath and several players left for other clubs.
During the 2005–06 season, Giovanni Trapattoni was replaced by Armin Veh. Veh was seen as a temporary coach. But with the help of new manager Horst Heldt, Veh proved himself. He focused on finding promising, affordable players instead of expensive stars. The team finished ninth and did not qualify for European competition.
Bundesliga Champions in 2006–07
Despite losing games early in the 2006–07 season, coach Veh turned things around. He brought in new players like Pável Pardo and Ricardo Osorio from Mexico. He also used young local talents like Mario Gómez, Serdar Tasci, and Sami Khedira. This group became a strong team.
On November 12, 2006, Stuttgart led the league for the first time in two years. They stayed among the top five teams. They won their last eight games to challenge for the Bundesliga title. On May 12, 2007, they beat VfL Bochum 3–2 away from home. This put them ahead of Schalke 04 and guaranteed them a spot in the 2007–08 Champions League.
In the final match, they were losing 0–1 to Energie Cottbus. But Stuttgart came back to win 2–1. They claimed their first Bundesliga title in 15 years! The victory celebrations in Stuttgart were huge. About 250,000 people celebrated. This was even more than when Germany finished third in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
VfB also had a chance to win the double (both the league and the cup). They reached the German Cup final for the first time in ten years. Their opponent was 1. FC Nürnberg. Nürnberg had beaten them twice in the regular season. In the final, Stuttgart's player Cacau was sent off. Nürnberg took a 2–1 lead. But the ten men of VfB fought back and equalized. In extra time, Nürnberg scored the winning goal.
VfB Stuttgart: From 2007 to Today
Ups and Downs: Relegations and Comebacks
The 2007–08 UEFA Champions League season was tough for Stuttgart. They were in a group with Barcelona, Lyon, and Rangers. They lost five games and won only one (against Rangers). This meant an early exit from Europe. In the league, they finished sixth after a bad start. Star player Mario Gómez scored 19 goals. They qualified for the UEFA Cup by winning the 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
The 2008–09 season also started poorly. Coach Armin Veh was replaced by Markus Babbel. After being knocked out of the German Cup, the team improved. They finished third in the league. They just missed second place after losing to Bayern on the last day. This gave them another chance to play in the Champions League.
For the 2009–10 season, Mario Gómez left for Bayern Munich. Pavel Pogrebnyak joined from Zenit Saint Petersburg. Alexander Hleb returned on loan from Barcelona. Stuttgart qualified for the Champions League group stage for the third time. They beat Politehnica Timișoara from Romania. In the group stage, they played against Sevilla, Rangers, and Unirea Urziceni. They finished second in their group. This meant they reached the round of 16. There, they faced defending champions Barcelona. After a 1–1 draw at home, Stuttgart lost 0–4 at Camp Nou and were eliminated.
In the 2009–10 DFB-Pokal, they lost in the round of 16. This happened during a disappointing first half of the Bundesliga season. Coach Markus Babbel was fired and replaced by Christian Gross. Under Gross, VfB improved. They climbed into the top half of the table. They even secured a spot in the Europa League for the next season.
The 2010–11 season was average. They spent most of the first half near the relegation zone. Christian Gross was fired. Bruno Labbadia was hired as the new coach in January. He managed to save VfB from relegation. The team finished 12th. In July 2011, Gerd E. Mäuser became the new president.
In the 2011–12 season, they moved up the table. They had a long unbeaten run in the spring. VfB qualified for the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League. Key players were Martin Harnik, Gōtoku Sakai, and Vedad Ibišević.
In 2013, Gerd E. Mäuser resigned as president. Bernd Wahler was elected as the new president. After barely avoiding relegation in 2014–15, Stuttgart was relegated to the 2. Bundesliga in 2015–16. They finished 17th. Coach Alexander Zorniger was fired. Jürgen Kramny took over. After relegation, Wahler also resigned. Kramny was then sacked.
Jos Luhukay became the new head coach in May 2016. He resigned in September 2016 and was replaced by Hannes Wolf. At the end of the season, Stuttgart returned to the Bundesliga as champions of the 2. Bundesliga. On December 22, 2017, star striker Mario Gomez returned to the team. The team had a solid return season, finishing 7th. However, they dropped to 16th the following season. They were relegated after losing play-offs against Union Berlin.
Recent Success: Back to the Top
Stuttgart appointed Thomas Hitzlsperger as CEO and Sven Mislintat as sporting director. In July 2019, Stuttgart was in the second division. They started to rebuild the team. In December 2019, coach Tim Walter was fired. Pellegrino Matarazzo was hired. After one season, Stuttgart returned to the Bundesliga. They finished second in the 2019–20 2. Bundesliga season.
Stuttgart stayed in the Bundesliga in the 2020–21 season, finishing ninth. In the 2021–22 season, they narrowly avoided relegation. A last-minute win on the final day kept them in the top league. In the 2022–23 season, Stuttgart again barely stayed in the Bundesliga. They finished 16th and won their play-off games.
The 2023–24 season was one of the club's most successful. Stuttgart was called "the surprise team of the season." They had their best Bundesliga season ever based on wins. They stayed in 3rd place for most of the season. On the final day, they passed Bayern Munich to finish as Bundesliga runners-up. This was their best performance since winning the league in 2007.
They also reached the quarter-finals of the DFB Pokal. Strikers Serhou Guirassy and Deniz Undav were among the top goalscorers worldwide. Guirassy even broke Stuttgart's record for most goals in a season. Several players from Stuttgart were chosen for the preliminary squad of the Germany national team for the UEFA Euro 2024. This was a club record.
The club started the 2024–25 season by losing the 2024 DFL-Supercup in a penalty shootout. They had qualified for this cup by finishing 2nd in the league. They did not repeat their success in the Bundesliga, finishing 9th. They also had a club record of six straight home game losses. In the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League league phase, they finished 26th. They missed out on the knockout playoffs after losing to PSG. However, they had a memorable 1–0 away win against Juventus FC.
The club still qualified for Europe. They ended an 18-year trophy drought by winning the 2024-25 DFB-Pokal. They won 4–2 against Arminia Bielefeld in the final. This means they will play in the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League. They will also host the newly named Franz Beckenbauer Supercup against Bayern Munich in 2025.
Team Kits
| For more details, see VfB Stuttgart kits |
- Current sports brand: Jako.
- Home uniform: White shirt with a horizontal red stripe, white shorts and white socks.
- Alternative uniform: Red shirt, red shorts and red socks.
- Third uniform: Dark green or yellow shirt, dark green or yellow shorts and dark green or yellow socks.
      First
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     (See evolution)
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     Currently
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Kit Makers and Sponsors
| Years | Kit Makers | Shirt Sponsor | Sleeve Sponsor |
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| 1975–1976 | Adidas | None | None |
| 1976–1977 | Frottesana | ||
| 1977–1978 | Erima | ||
| 1978–1979 | Adidas | ||
| 1979–1980 | Erima | Canon | |
| 1980–1982 | Adidas | ||
| 1982–1986 | Dinkelacker | ||
| 1986–1987 | Sanwald Extra | ||
| 1987–1997 | Südmilch | ||
| 1997–1999 | Göttinger Gruppe | ||
| 1999–2002 | Debitel | ||
| 2002–2005 | Puma | ||
| 2005–2010 | EnBW | ||
| 2010–2012 | GAZİ | ||
| 2012–2017 | Mercedes-Benz Bank | ||
| 2017–2019 | GAZİ | ||
| 2019–2023 | Jako | Mercedes-EQ | |
| 2023– | Winamax | hep Global |
Club Badges and Logos
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Badge of Stuttgarter FV 93 (1893–1912)
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Badge of FC Krone Cannstatt (1897–1912)
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Badge of VfB Stuttgart (1912–1949)
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Badge of VfB Stuttgart (1994–2014)
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Badge of VfB Stuttgart (1949–1994, 2014–)
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Home Stadium: MHPArena
The home stadium for VfB Stuttgart is the MHPArena. It was first built in 1933. The stadium is near the River Neckar in Bad Cannstatt. It is also close to the new Mercedes-Benz Museum and factory.
The stadium has been updated many times. It can hold up to 60,058 fans. For international matches, the capacity is 50,000. The MHPArena was one of the venues for the 1974 FIFA World Cup. It also hosted games for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This included five group matches, one knockout game, and the third-place match.
From the 2008–09 season, the stadium was called the Mercedes-Benz-Arena. It was changed into a football-only stadium. In 2011, its capacity was increased to 60,449.
Rivalries and Friendships
VfB Stuttgart has a long-standing rivalry with Stuttgarter Kickers. This is a city rivalry between "The Reds" (VfB) and "The Blues" (Kickers). However, the main teams haven't played each other since 1992.
Because of this, the rivalry with Karlsruher SC has become more important. This is called the Baden-Württemberg-Derby. It brings out old feelings between the Baden and Württemberg regions. There is also a rivalry with Bayern Munich. This is mostly from VfB fans. They dislike Bayern for often buying Stuttgart's best players and coaches.
VfB has friendships with some regional clubs. These include SSV Reutlingen 05 and SpVgg Ludwigsburg. They also have a friendship with FC Heidenheim. In 2005, VfB signed a cooperation agreement with Swiss club St. Gallen. This agreement focuses on helping young players develop.
Club Achievements
National Titles
- German Championship/Bundesliga
- Winners: 1950, 1952, 1983–84, 1991–92, 2006–07
- Runners-up: 1935, 1953, 1978–79, 2002–03, 2023–24
- 2. Bundesliga
- Winners: 1976–77, 2016–17
- Runners-up: 2019–20
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup)
- Winners: 1953–54, 1957–58, 1996–97, 2024–25
- Runners-up: 1985–86, 2006–07, 2012–13
- DFB/DFL-Supercup
- Winners: 1992
- Runners-up: 2024
International Titles
- UEFA Cup
- Runners-up: 1988–89
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
- Runners-up: 1997–98
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Winners: 2000, 2002 (shared record)
Youth Team Success
- German Under 19 championship
- Champions: 1972–73, 1974–75, 1980–81, 1983–84, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 2002–03, 2004–05 (record)
- Under 19 Juniors DFB-Pokal
- Winners: 1996–97, 2000–01, 2018–19, 2021–22
- German Under 17 championship
- Champions: 1985–86, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2012–13
Club Management
| Position | Name |
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| Interim President (since 1 August 2024) | Dietmar Allgaier |
| Chairman, Executive board representative for Strategy and Communications | Alexander Wehrle |
| Executive board representative for Sport | Fabian Wohlgemuth |
| Executive board representative for Finances, Administration and Operations | Thomas Ignatzi |
| Executive board representative for Marketing and Distribution | Rouven Kasper |
Current Players
Main Squad
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Players on Loan
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Famous Former Players
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In 2012, for the 100th anniversary of the club's merger, fans voted for the "Centenary Eleven." This is a special team of the best players from the club's history. Joachim Löw was chosen as the head coach for this team.
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Player Records
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Coaching Staff
Current Coaches
| Name | Position |
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 Sebastian Hoeneß |
Head coach |
| David Krecidlo |
Assistant coach |
| Steffen Krebs |
Goalkeeping coach |
 Nathaniel Weiss |
Technical coach |
| Martin Franz |
Fitness coach |
| Matthias Schiffers |
Fitness coach |
 Oliver Bartlett |
Performance and Fitness coach |
Bundesliga Performance Over the Years
Here's how VfB Stuttgart has performed in the Bundesliga since 1963:
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- Key
| 1st Champions | ↑ Promoted | ↓ Relegated |
See also
In Spanish: VfB Stuttgart para niños
