By the time the Bundesliga club announced the sacking of Bruno Labbadia on Monday afternoon, it had to have been one of German football’s worst-kept secrets. The final straw appears to have been Stuttgart’s 3-0 defeat away to Union Berlin on Saturday – which was the bottom-of-the table Swabians’ seventh defeat in their last nine games under Labbadia.
“We signed Bruno last December because we were firmly convinced that we could initiate a turnaround with him,” Stuttgart CEO Alexander Wehrle said in a statement announcing the move. “Ultimately, we came to the conclusion that we needed a new impetus.”
Labbadia’s replacement is Sebastian Hoeness, 40, whose only previously Bundesliga coaching experience were two seasons at Hoffenheim, where he was sacked following a ninth-place finish in the 2021-22 campaign. He has signed a contract with Stuttgart that would take him through the end of 2024-25 and is also valid for the second division.
“Sebastian Hoeness has already gained important experience in the Bundesliga and also knows the youth and transition areas very well as a coach,” the statement said. “We are sure that Sebastian is the right coach for the upcoming challenges, and he will master this difficult situation together with the team.”
Hoeness’ first match in charge will be Stuttgart’s quarterfinal match against second-division outfit Nuremberg, on Wednesday, before they take on fellow relegation candidates Bochum in the league on Sunday.
A former youth player at Stuttgart, Hoeness is the fourth coach to take charge of the team this season, as following Mattarazzo’s departure in mid-October, Michael Wimmer had stepped in on an interim basis.
pfd/ (dpa, SID)
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