Discover Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart – tradition, youth and the red hoop around the heart
VfB Stuttgart is one of the biggest and most historically successful clubs in German football. Five German championships, four DFB Cup victories and two European final appearances give it an important place in Bundesliga history. Its story, however, is about much more than trophies.
Stuttgart is a club of remarkable recoveries, unexpected collapses and exceptional generations of young players. It can compete for a championship one season and find itself fighting relegation in another. Those dramatic changes between euphoria and disappointment have created a powerful bond between the club, the city and its supporters.
Its most recognisable symbol is the red band across the white shirt – the famous “Brustring”, which figuratively also surrounds the heart of every VfB supporter.
A club with roots in 1893
The origins of VfB Stuttgart date back to 1893. The modern club was formed in 1912 through the merger of FV Stuttgart 1893 and Kronen-Klub Cannstatt. In its early years, members played not only football but also rugby and other sports.
The abbreviation VfB stands for “Verein für Bewegungsspiele”, which roughly translates as Association for Movement Games. Although the organisation still includes several sporting departments, football gradually became its most important and famous activity.
The distinctive red hoop first appeared on the white shirt in 1925. Initially intended to display the club’s colours more clearly, it developed into one of the most recognisable designs in German football. It is now considered so important that the hoop has been officially protected within the club’s statutes.
The golden 1950s
VfB’s first truly great period arrived after the Second World War. Head coach Georg Wurzer constructed a team based primarily on footballers from the surrounding region and transformed it into one of the strongest sides in West Germany.
Stuttgart defeated Kickers Offenbach in the 1950 championship final to win its first national title. Two years later, it repeated the achievement with victory over 1. FC Saarbrücken.
DFB Cup triumphs followed in 1954 and 1958. Within less than a decade, VfB had established itself as one of the most successful German clubs of its era.
The central figure of this generation was Robert Schlienz. Following a serious car accident in 1948, part of his left arm had to be amputated. Schlienz nevertheless returned to professional football, adapted to a different position and became both captain and the symbol of the entire club.
He helped Stuttgart win its two championships and two German Cups. His story continues to represent courage, loyalty and the ability to overcome apparently impossible circumstances.
Returning to the top in 1984 and 1992
VfB was one of the founding members of the Bundesliga in 1963. During the 1970s, however, the club entered a period of decline and was relegated to the second division in 1975.
After returning to the top flight, Stuttgart built an excellent team featuring players such as Karlheinz and Bernd Förster, Hermann Ohlicher and Hansi Müller. In 1984, the club became German champion again after a 32-year wait.
The 1992 championship was even more dramatic. Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt entered the final matchday level on points. VfB fell behind away to Bayer Leverkusen but managed to turn the match around.
Captain Guido Buchwald scored the decisive goal in the 86th minute. Stuttgart won 2–1 and became champion because of its superior goal difference. It remains one of the most dramatic conclusions to a season in Bundesliga history.
The Magic Triangle
The 1990s were also defined by one of the most celebrated attacking combinations in German football. Krassimir Balakov, Fredi Bobic and Giovane Élber formed the “Magisches Dreieck” – the Magic Triangle.
Balakov was the creative brain of the team, Bobic a dangerous goalscorer and Élber an exceptionally skilful forward. Under head coach Joachim Löw, VfB played entertaining attacking football and won the DFB Cup in 1997.
Élber scored both goals in the final against Energie Cottbus. During the following season, Stuttgart reached the European Cup Winners’ Cup final, where it lost 1–0 to Chelsea after a goal from Gianfranco Zola.
European finals against Maradona and Chelsea
Stuttgart had contested its first European final in 1989. In the UEFA Cup decider, VfB faced a Napoli team led by Diego Maradona.
The German side lost the opening match in Naples 2–1. A dramatic second leg in a packed Neckarstadion finished 3–3, allowing Napoli to win the tie 5–4 on aggregate.
Nine years later came the Cup Winners’ Cup final against Chelsea. Stuttgart again missed out on the trophy. Nevertheless, two European final appearances demonstrate that VfB has not only been a significant German club but has also made its mark on the international stage.
The bizarre elimination against Leeds
One of Stuttgart’s strangest European episodes occurred shortly after the 1992 championship. VfB defeated Leeds United 3–0 at home in qualification for the newly created Champions League and then lost the away leg 4–1. Under the away-goals rule, Stuttgart should still have progressed.
However, VfB had fielded a fourth foreign player during the second leg, even though the regulations permitted only three. UEFA awarded Leeds a 3–0 victory and ordered a deciding match at a neutral venue in Barcelona.
Leeds won the play-off 2–1, eliminating Stuttgart. An administrative error had denied the German champion a place in the inaugural Champions League and created one of the most bizarre stories in the club’s history.
The Junge Wilde and the 2007 title
At the beginning of the new millennium, Stuttgart placed increasing trust in young players. The team became known as the “Junge Wilde” – the Young Wild Ones – and surprisingly finished second in the Bundesliga in 2002/03.
Timo Hildebrand, Andreas Hinkel, Kevin Kurányi and Alexander Hleb were among the young players who established themselves. A young Philipp Lahm also spent two seasons at the club on loan. The subsequent Champions League campaign included a memorable home victory over Manchester United.
Another young generation achieved an even greater success. During the 2006/07 season, Stuttgart unexpectedly entered the title race under head coach Armin Veh. Mario Gómez, Sami Khedira, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Cacau and goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand were among the leading figures.
VfB entered the final matchday with its destiny in its own hands. The team fell behind against Energie Cottbus, but Hitzlsperger equalised before 19-year-old Khedira headed home the winning goal.
Stuttgart secured its fifth German championship, and approximately a quarter of a million people filled the city’s streets in celebration. One week later, the club had an opportunity to complete a domestic double but lost the DFB Cup final to Nürnberg after extra time.
From relegation to a return among the elite
The championship season was followed by a long period of instability. Stuttgart repeatedly battled relegation and finally dropped out of the Bundesliga in 2016, ending an uninterrupted 41-year stay in the top division.
The club returned immediately but suffered another relegation in 2019. Even after winning promotion for a second time, the struggle was not over. VfB survived in 2022 through an injury-time goal on the final matchday and had to defeat Hamburg in the relegation play-off one year later.
The arrival of Sebastian Hoeneß as head coach in April 2023 changed everything. A team fighting for survival began playing confident, intense football. Stuttgart collected a club-record 73 points in 2023/24, finished second ahead of Bayern Munich and qualified for the Champions League.
Striker Serhou Guirassy became one of the symbols of the revival by scoring 28 Bundesliga goals in a single season. Deniz Undav, Chris Führich, Waldemar Anton and Angelo Stiller were among the other influential players.
DFB Cup glory in 2025
In 2025, VfB claimed its first major trophy in 28 years. Stuttgart defeated third-division Arminia Bielefeld 4–2 in the DFB Cup final.
Three goals during the opening half-hour decided the contest, with Nick Woltemade, Enzo Millot and Deniz Undav writing their names into club history. Captain Atakan Karazor lifted the trophy before celebrations moved from Berlin back to Stuttgart.
VfB reached the final again the following season, making consecutive German Cup final appearances for the first time in its history. It was unable to defend the trophy, however, losing 3–0 to Bayern Munich.
The MHP Arena and Cannstatter Kurve
VfB’s home is the MHP Arena in the Bad Cannstatt district. A stadium has stood on the site since 1933, although it has undergone numerous reconstructions and carried several names, including the Neckarstadion, Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion and Mercedes-Benz Arena.
The original athletics track was removed during a major redevelopment, creating a modern football-specific ground with the stands positioned much closer to the pitch. Following its most recent renovation, the arena holds approximately 60,000 spectators.
The stadium has hosted matches at the 1974 and 2006 World Cups, the 1988 and 2024 European Championships and the 1988 European Cup final.
The Cannstatter Kurve is the heart of the home support. Located behind one of the goals, it produces large choreographies, enormous flags and much of the singing that drives the rest of the stadium. When the terrace is full and in full voice, Stuttgart offers one of the most impressive atmospheres in Germany.
An academy at the heart of the club
VfB operates one of Germany’s most highly regarded youth academies. The club regularly develops players for the Bundesliga and the German national team and has a long tradition of trusting young footballers in its first team.
Sami Khedira, Mario Gómez, Timo Werner, Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich, Timo Hildebrand, Andreas Hinkel and Antonio Rüdiger all spent important parts of their development at Stuttgart. Not all established themselves in VfB’s senior side, but their later careers demonstrate the quality of the academy.
Goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand also produced one of the Bundesliga’s most remarkable records. Between 2003 and 2004, he went 884 consecutive minutes without conceding, which remains the longest clean-sheet sequence in the competition’s history.
VfB Stuttgart legends
Alongside Robert Schlienz, Stuttgart’s greatest legends include Karl Allgöwer, the club’s leading Bundesliga goalscorer, and brothers Karlheinz and Bernd Förster, who were key members of the 1984 championship side.
Guido Buchwald became a symbol of the 1992 title and also played an important role in Germany’s 1990 World Cup triumph. Jürgen Klinsmann began his rise towards becoming one of Europe’s leading strikers at Stuttgart and finished as the Bundesliga’s leading scorer in 1987/88.
Giovane Élber, Fredi Bobic, Krassimir Balakov, Cacau, Mario Gómez, Sami Khedira and Thomas Hitzlsperger also made a lasting impact. Each represented a different VfB generation, but all were united by the white shirt and its famous red hoop.
The rivalry with Karlsruher SC
Stuttgart’s greatest traditional rival is Karlsruher SC. Their meetings are known as the Baden-Württemberg derby and carry considerable historical and regional significance.
The rivalry extends beyond football. It reflects the long-standing cultural tension between Württemberg, represented by Stuttgart, and Baden, represented by Karlsruhe. Whenever the two teams meet, the occasion is highly emotional regardless of their current league positions.
Matches against SC Freiburg also have a strong regional character. As the clubs have met more frequently in the Bundesliga, Freiburg has become one of VfB’s most prominent modern opponents.
Games against Bayern Munich possess a different kind of intensity. It is not a traditional local derby, but a contest between two of southern Germany’s largest clubs. Their history, important cup finals and regional pride give the fixture additional significance.
A city of cars, wine and football
Stuttgart is best known as the home of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Both manufacturers have spectacular museums in the city, making them easy additions to a football weekend.
The city also offers a historic centre, surrounding hills, extensive vineyards and traditional Swabian cuisine. Local specialities include Maultaschen, Spätzle and wines produced within the city itself.
The stadium is located in Bad Cannstatt, close to the River Neckar and the famous Cannstatter Wasen festival grounds. On matchdays, the entire area fills with supporters wearing white and red.
A visit to VfB Stuttgart combines a huge Bundesliga stadium, a passionate supporter culture and a club whose history includes championships, European finals, painful relegations and spectacular recoveries. That unpredictability is precisely what makes Stuttgart one of the most fascinating clubs in German football.
