Robin Dutt starts at VfB

Robin Dutt has taken office as VfB Stuttgart's new sporting director, just over three months after the sacking of his predecessor Fredi Bobic. Since Bobic, Jochen Schneider had taken over the role of interim sporting director at VfB.

"The club has some big challenges ahead of them, in the ever-changing Bundesliga," said Dutt, after taking over his new position. "In the short-term we are going to invest everything into staying up this season in the Bundesliga.

"I have already been talking a lot to the players and to the coach Huub Stevens," he said on Tuesday.

Dutt, who grew up near Stuttgart and speaks with a strong Swabian accent, worked as coach at Bundesliga side Werder Bremen before getting his marching orders from there in October.

"I took my time to make the decision this time," said Dutt, who seemingly has not yet convinced the club's huge but often demanding fan-base. Reactions on Twitter from Stuttgart fans ranged from uncertain to disillusioned.

For Dutt, the boardroom job at Stuttgart is his first ever in club football. From August 2012 to April 2013, Dutt was Sporting Director at the German Football Association (DFB), before he left the job to coach at Bremen. Back then he had said that he wanted to work more pitch side, rather than in strategy.

Dutt is the second new face at Stuttgart in just a few months. Huub Stevens joined the club as head coach in November, replacing Armin Veh. Dutt has received a contract at Stuttgart until December 2018.

al (dpa, SID)