Huub Stevens to replace Thomas Schneider at Stuttgart

VfB Stuttgart’s season hasn’t been noteworthy by any stretch of the imagination and on Sunday, Coach Thomas Schneider bore the brunt for his side’s poor form as he was sacked by the club. Dutch coach Huub Stevens, formerly of Schalke was named as his replacement as the German club continue their battle, to beat the drop.

The club who are currently in 15th place, three above bottom placed Braunschweig, with whom they drew 2-2 on Saturday. Although the result ended a run of eight-straight losses, it left hovering above the relegation zone on goal difference with just ten matches left in the current campaign.

In a statement, the club said “Huub Stevens will become the new head coach of VfB Stuttgart,” the club also added that “the 60-year-old will lead his first training on Monday and will coach the team in his first game on Saturday at Werder Bremen.”

On the Dutchman’s appointment, the club’s sports director Fredi Bobic said, “He is an extremely experienced coach and knows the Bundesliga inside out. That is extremely important in the situation we are in. We needed a new impulse.”

Although Schneider had a good start to the campaign, the former youth coach has had a terrible time at the German club having won just twice in the League, since October. With a run like that, it was just a matter of time before he was to be sacked. And that was just what the club did, a day after their draw with Braunschweig.

The club have gone onto say that Schneider will remain at the club in some other capacity. Stevens, the man who replaces him was, only this past week, sacked by Greek club PAOK. Having said that, the Dutchman has plenty of experience of managing in Germany, having coached Schalke for seven years across two spells, one from 1996-2002 and more recently, from 2011-2012. He also guided Schalke to their UEFA Cup win in 1997 and has also managed at several German clubs including Hamburg SV, Cologne and Hertha Berlin.