Stuttgart international

After Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final, VfB can now say they were eliminated from the competition by the eventual winners. Inter were not the only team swept aside by PSG, who showed Sebastian Hoeneß’s side the standards they need to reach in Europe’s premier club tournament when they visited the MHP Arena earlier this year.

“We saw today what sets apart the best in the world,” Hoeneß said at his press conference following the 4-1 reverse on 29 January, adding that losing to a club of that calibre had given VfB inspiration and motivation to improve. After all, it was only 19 months earlier that Hoeneß’s team had avoided relegation from the Bundesliga via the play-offs. Now, they suddenly found themselves among the continent’s elite – a remarkable rise for the club as a whole, the team, the players and indeed the fans, who will remember three of last season’s league phase matches particularly fondly.

Travelling with pride

Madrid, Spain. 17 September 2024. Against reigning European champions Real Madrid at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, the boys from Cannstatt produced a memorable first-half performance before Deniz Undav cancelled out Kylian Mbappé’s opener to make it 1-1 midway through the second period. Despite eventually falling to a 3-1 defeat, VfB had proven themselves as tough opponents on their return to the Champions League and underlined their credentials on 22 October, when El Bilal’s strike earned them a 1-0 victory at Juventus – their first win in the competition in over 14 years. The fans in white and red could follow their heroes across Europe with pride. 

Champions League nights at the MHP Arena were no less magical, but the magnificent 5-1 win over Young Boys on 11 December was the most memorable of the lot. VfB ended the league phase in 26^th place with ten points, 13 goals scored and 17 conceded. One more point would have secured a spot in the top 24 and a knockout round play-off berth.

“I want to compliment the team”

“We had the chance to achieve even more,” board member for sport Fabian Wohlgemuth said after VfB’s eighth and final league phase game against Paris. “That said, you can’t blame the players for much. Instead, I want to compliment them for their overall performance in the competition.”

And the supporters will be singing “Stuttgart international” again next season as VfB have qualified for the UEFA Europa League by winning the DFB Cup. So, the journey continues in 2025/2026, this time in Europe's second-highest club competition...