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Bobic's dismissal

Ross DunbarSeptember 25, 2014

A fresh page has been turned at struggling Stuttgart. The decision to sack Fredi Bobic came as little surprise considering the turmoil surrounding the club. DW's Ross Dunbar explores the context behind his downfall.

https://p.dw.com/p/1DKei
VfB Stuttgart Manager Fredi Bobic in front of fans on 20.09.2014
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Sebastian Kahnert

The fans have spoken. Fredi Bobic has been dismissed from VfB Stuttgart and a replacement is now being discussed. After four years at the helm - and six coaches later – the 42-year-old was relieved of his duties on Wednesday, because "in the current situation we don't see any possibility of making a positive, sustainable improvement," Joachim Schmidt, head of the club's Supervisory Board, confirmed.

Yesterday’s dismissal was a long time coming however. After joining the club in 2010, Bobic’s first two seasons in Stuttgart weren't so bad. The team managed a sixth-placed finish in the 2011-12 season to secure a place in the UEFA Europa League. Then, in 2013, they reached the German Cup final.

But shortly thereafter, the roof immediately caved in. Head coach Bruno Labbadia lost his first three matches in charge of the 2013-14 season and was dismissed. The whole season ended up being a struggle, with the team languishing around the bottom of the table. In the calendar year 2014, they have already gone through three different coaches.

What’s more, Stuttgart's demise over the last few seasons has been accentuated by the consistent success of nearby clubs with lesser resources, like Mainz, Augsburg and Freiburg. Even the blistering start of newly-promoted Paderborn, on roughly 50 percent of the budget of Stuttgart, puts the slump of the three-time German champions into some context.

Fredi Bobic
Fredi Bobic started his time as Sports Director at Stuttgart in 2010, but it hasn't always been easyImage: Getty Images

From hero to zero

Despite holding almost iconic status as a player, the last year or so had seen Bobic's relationship with the club's hardline supporters rapidly deteriorate. The influential Stuttgart fan group "Commando Cannstatt" released a long statement last Thursday (18.09.2014), listing their grievances about Stuttgart's decline and recent poor results. They laid the blame squarely with the executives such as club president Bernd Wahler. But the real blame was put on Bobic.

"The time has come, to come out and say that a good ex-player just isn't up to the job as a board member," the group stated.

Last weekend, Stuttgart’s poor start to the present season continued with a two-goal defeat at the hands of Hoffenheim. The "Cannstatt" fans were ruthless, rolling out three long banners with clear messages: "37 games, 33 points: welcome to reality," read the first one.

Another was even more damning: "The summer break was wasted, we failed to regroup and examine the problems." Then, the knockout punch: "Bobic and Wahler: if you are not up to the job, you should go."

A long time coming

The recent fan complaints were part of an ongoing trend though. After the Swabians slumped to a 2-2 draw at the beginning of March this year to Eintracht Braunschweig - a team eventually relegated from the top division – club fans demanded Bobic and president Wahler appear in person, post-match, to explain the decline and abject performances of the club. The meeting finished more than two hours after the full-time whistle.

That spelled the end of coach Thomas Schneider's stint at the club, following nine consecutive defeats. At the time, Stuttgart was sitting on the bottom of the table. Fans continued to vent their frustration several days later too, but the targets were those on the board rather than the dismissed head coach, now Joachim Löw's right-hand man with the German national team.

Stuttgart fans in the match against Hoffenheim in September 2014
The banners in the 'Cannstatter Kurve' certainly left little room for interpretationImage: picture-alliance/Pressefoto ULMER/Markus Ulmer

When the decision was taken to remove Schneider, Bobic apparently tried to install a close friend and former team-mate in Krassimir Balakov as the successor but the board intervened and opted to select the experienced Huub Stevens on a short-term deal. This was an important moment considering one of the main responsibilities of the Sporting Director in Germany is to oversee first-team affairs.

In July, at the club's Annual General Meeting, the head of the Stuttgart Supervisory Board, Joachim Schmidt, revealed that a team of experts had been commissioned to oversee Bobic's work. The six-man group included Rainer Adrion, the team's U19 coach and former German internationals Guido Buchwald and Thomas Hitzlsperger.

But Bobic was still trying to stem the tide. He was influential in bringing Armin Veh back to the club this summer, hoping he may return the club to glory. After all, Veh had previously led Stuttgart to a championship of course, in 2007, and had coached at Hamburg and Eintracht Frankfurt too.

But a languid start with one point from four matches has left the club teetering on the brink of another relegation battle. While Veh had the backing of Bobic, the fans of the club are still concerned at the lack of strategy around the club, irrespective of Stuttgart’s best showing of the season against Dortmund on Wednesday.

The bumpy road ahead

Fan sits alone in the stands after Stuttgart's loss to Hoffenheim
Tough times: it's not much fun being a fan of Stuttgart at the momentImage: picture-alliance/dpa/Sebastian Kahnert

As became clear in the wake of Stuttgart's surprise German Cup defeat against Bochum, the pieces of the puzzle at Stuttgart simply don't match. The appointment of Veh: a pragmatic coach, with rigid ideas and a lack of tactical flexibility, has evidently acted as a brake on the creative, precocious talents that lie in Stuttgart's attack.

In the summer, Stuttgart paid six million euros ($7.64 million) for FC Groningen's highly-rated attacking-midfielder Filip Kostic. The Serbian has played just 97 minutes so far this season. To open the check book in such fashion, whilst already having several other attacking talents, reeks of mismanagement at the top.

Already, Stuttgarter Kickers' Michael Zeyer and Karlsruhe's Jens Todt have emerged as potential replacements for Bobic. Even when a successor is identified, however, the air of instability won't disappear too quickly. A new man in charge of the sporting direction of the club, with his own ideas, may well consider replacing Veh, should the right opportunity arise in the coming months.

There’s little doubt that Bobic's sacking is an important step in the recent history of the club. The fans might have got their wish - and evidence would suggest, justifiably so - but the ramifications could upset Stuttgart’s season for some time to come.

he fans have spoken. Fredi Bobic has been dismissed from VfB Stuttgart and a replacement is now being recruited. After four years at the helm - and six coaches later – the 42-year-old was relieved of his duties on Wednesday, because "in the current situation we don't see any possibility of making a positive, sustainable improvement," Joachim Schmidt, head of the club's Supervisory Board, confirmed.

Yesterday’s dismissal was a long time coming however. After joining the club in 2010, Bobic’s first two seasons in Stuttgart weren't so bad. The team managed a sixth-placed finish in the 2011-12 season to secure a place in the UEFA Europa League. Then, in 2013, they reached the German Cup final.

But shortly thereafter, the roof immediately caved in. Head coach Bruno Labbadia lost his first three matches in charge of the 2013-14 season and was dismissed. The whole season ended up being a struggle, with the team languishing around the bottom of the table. In the calendar year 2014, they have already gone through three different coaches.

What’s more, Stuttgart's demise over the last few seasons has been accentuated by the consistent success of nearby clubs with lesser resources, like Mainz, Augsburg and Freiburg. Even the blistering start of newly-promoted Paderborn, on roughly 50 percent of the budget of Stuttgart, puts the slump of the three-time German champions into some context.

From hero to zero

Despite holding almost iconic status as a player, the last year or so had seen Bobic's relationship with the club's hardline supporters rapidly deteriorate. The influential Stuttgart fan group "Commando Cannstatt" released a long statement last Thursday (18.09.2014), listing their grievances about Stuttgart's decline and recent poor results. They laid the blame squarely with the executives such as club president Bernd Wahler. But the real blame was put on Bobic.

"The time has come, to come out and say that a good ex-player just isn't up to the job as a board member," the group stated.

Last weekend, Stuttgart’s poor start to the present season continued with a two-goal defeat at the hands of Hoffenheim. The "Cannstatt" fans were ruthless, rolling out three long banners with clear messages: "37 games, 33 points: welcome to reality," read the first one.

Another was even more damning: "The summer break was wasted, we failed to regroup and examine the problems."

Then, the knockout punch: "Bobic and Wahler: if you are not up to the job, you should go."

A long time coming

The recent fan complaints were part of an ongoing trend though. After the Swabians slumped to a 2-2 draw at the beginning of March this year to Eintracht Braunschweig - a team eventually relegated from the top division – club fans demanded Bobic and president Wahler appear in person, post-match, to explain the decline and abject performances of the club. The meeting finished more than two hours after the full-time whistle.

That spelled the end of coach Thomas Schneider's stint at the club, following nine consecutive defeats. At the time, Stuttgart was sitting on the bottom of the table. Fans continued to vent their frustration several days later too, but the targets were those on the board rather than the dismissed head coach, now Joachim Löw's right-hand man with the German national team.

When the decision was taken to remove Schneider, Bobic apparently tried to install a close friend and former team-mate in Krassimir Balakov as the successor but the board intervened and opted to select the experienced Huub Stevens on a short-term deal. This was an important moment considering one of the main responsibilities of the Sporting Director in Germany is to oversee first-team affairs.

In July, at the club's Annual General Meeting, the head of the Stuttgart Supervisory Board, Joachim Schmidt, revealed that a team of experts had been commissioned to oversee Bobic's work. The six-man group included Rainer Adrion, the team's U19 coach and former German internationals Guido Buchwald and Thomas Hitzlsperger.

But Bobic was still trying to stem the tide. He was influential in bringing Armin Veh back to the club this summer, hoping he may return the club to glory. After all, Veh had previously led Stuttgart to a championship of course, in 2007, and had coached at Hamburg and Eintracht Frankfurt too.

But a languid start with one point from four matches has left the club teetering on the brink of another relegation battle. While Veh had the backing of Bobic, the fans of the club are still concerned at the lack of strategy around the club, irrespective of Stuttgart’s best showing of the season against Dortmund on Wednesday.

The bumpy road ahead

As became clear in the wake of Stuttgart's surprise German Cup defeat against Bochum, the pieces of the puzzle at Stuttgart simply don't match. The appointment of Veh: a pragmatic coach, with rigid ideas and a lack of tactical flexibility, has evidently acted as a brake on the creative, precocious talents that lie in Stuttgart's attack.

In the summer, Stuttgart paid six million euros ($7.64 million) for FC Groningen's highly-rated attacking-midfielder Filip Kostic. The Serbian has played just 97 minutes so far this season. To open the check book in such fashion, whilst already having several other attacking talents, reeks of mismanagement at the top.

Already, Stuttgarter Kickers' Michael Zeyer and Karlsruhe's Jens Todt have emerged as potential replacements for Bobic. Even when a successor is identified, however, the air of instability won't disappear too quickly. A new man in charge of the sporting direction of the club, with his own ideas, may well consider replacing Veh, should the right opportunity arise in the coming months.

There’s little doubt that Bobic's sacking is an important step in the recent history of the club. The fans might have got their wish - and evidence would suggest, justifiably so - but the ramifications could upset Stuttgart’s season for some time to come.