VfB: Jess Thorup considered the top favourite to succeed Matarazzo – fans sceptical

VfB Stuttgart wins the first match after Pellegrino Matarazzo. Interim coach Michael Wimmer leads an efficient VfB to a 4-1 victory in the basement duel against bottom club VfL Bochum. While the new coach is reportedly already on standby, former VfB coach Markus Babbel is incensed by the behaviour of sporting director Sven Mislintat. FanQ has surveyed football fans in Germany about the latest developments surrounding the Swabians.

4-1 success against VfL Bochum as a turning point? Supporters divided

VfB Stuttgart move out of the relegation places with a 4:1 win against bottom-placed Bochum. After a superb solo run by Silas, in which the VfB winger left three Bochum players standing, Soares brought the Congolese down in the penalty area in the early stages. The fouled player converted the resulting penalty himself to give the home side a 1:0 lead (3rd minute). Following a needless trip by VfL keeper Riemann, it was Silas again who set up Ahamada in the penalty area. The Frenchman finally gave the Bochum goalkeeper no chance, slotting the ball into the opposition box from 12 metres out to double the Swabians' lead (22'). Although the visitors had more possession from then on, they initially did not know what to do with it. However, after just over half an hour, VfB goalkeeper Müller fumbled a pass from Stöger against the onrushing Zoller, who reduced the deficit to 2:1 (29'). Stuttgart failed to convert their superiority in chances into goals and missed opportunities through Sosa (44', 45.+1) and Silas (45'), which meant they went into the half-time break with the score level.

The visitors got into the game better after the break. However, Bochum were also unable to capitalise on the chances presented to them by Hofmann (52') and Stöger (57'). After just over an hour, Holtmann was also unable to capitalise on the fact that the VfB defender had completely switched off. The left-footer failed to beat Müller in the hosts' goal (60'). Four minutes later, Stuttgart were able to capitalise on their first opportunity of the second half. Sosa was set up well on the left flank. After his low cross, Pfeiffer stepped over the ball, but Silas, who was positioned behind him, did not hesitate for long and fired the ball into the far corner from a good 14 metres (64'). Seven minutes later, Endo followed up on a Swabian free-kick and scored to make it 4:1 (71'). VfL attacker Holtmann then hit the post (78'). At the other end, Silas missed out on a hat-trick shortly before the end as his shot only hit the crossbar (87'). In the end, it was Stuttgart's first win of the season, which also lifted VfB out of the relegation places.

FanQ hat die deutschen Fußballfans nach dem 4:1-Erfolg der Schwaben befragt, ob dieser Sieg die Trendwende beim VfB Stuttgart eingeleitet hat. Die Anhänger sind dabei geteilter Meinung. So denken 44,83 % der Umfrageteilnehmer, dass die drei Punkte gegen Bochum der Ausgangspunkt dafür seien, dass es mit dem VfB von nun an wieder bergauf gehe. 37,07 % der Befragten trauen dem Braten hingegen noch nicht. Weitere 17,24 % der Fans geben an, dass sie sich nicht sicher seien, in welche Richtung es bei den Schwaben zukünftig gehen werde.

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The behaviour of VfB sporting director Sven Mislintat during the match also caused a stir. Shortly before Chris Führich was substituted, Mislintat had talked at the Stuttgart professional for some time. The day after the game, former VfB coach Markus Babbel described this behaviour as an „affront“ to interim coach Michael Wimmer. „As a coach, I would go crazy if my sporting director spoke to a player like that in this situation. That's not his job,“ said the 50-year-old on „Sport1-Doppelpass“. „I almost fell off the sofa yesterday when I saw that. For me, that's an affront to the coach, and it also shows Sven Mislintat's character to a certain extent: he wants to be in charge,“ he added. Babbel therefore suspects that the VfB sporting director has a clear idea of the requirements for the successor to the recently dismissed Pellegrino Matarazzo. According to him, Mislintat is looking for a head coach „who he can manipulate and instruct in such a way that he is still the strong man.“ According to Babbel, the 49-year-old's own statements regarding the profile of the new coach also indicate that the VfB sporting director wants to hire a coach „whom he can control.“

Against the backdrop of these clear statements, FanQ surveyed football fans in Germany on whether they agreed with Markus Babbel's remarks. Here too, the supporters are not in agreement. Thus, 39.08 % of the people participating in the survey agree with the ex-VfB coach. Accordingly, they also believe that Sven Mislintat is acting somewhat overbearingly. In contrast, 26.44 % of respondents disagree with the 50-year-old and explain the VfB's sporting director's behaviour by saying that he simply wants to pull out all the stops to lead the Swabians out of the crisis.

Markus Babbel also let it be known that he himself is not a candidate for the position of VfB head coach. According to media reports, however, VfB Stuttgart's search for a coach is now close to being finalised anyway. As reported by the Danish newspaper „BT“ and the „Stuttgarter Nachrichten“, Jess Thorup is a hot contender to succeed Pellegrino Matarazzo. After the names of Domenico Tedesco, Dino Toppmöller, Zsolt Löw and Sebastian Hoeneß, among others, have been bandied about in Stuttgart, the former FC Copenhagen coach now seems to be the favourite. According to reports, Thorup recently travelled to Swabia with his advisor to conduct final negotiations. Alexander Wehrle, the chairman of VfB Stuttgart, emphasised on the sidelines of the 4:1 win against Bochum that two candidates were on the shortlist. According to „BT“, the 52-year-old's transfer is imminent. He was sacked a few weeks ago by the management of Dortmund's Champions League group opponents after the Danish champions had experienced a poor start to the season. According to the Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspaper, Thorup speaks good German and is also regarded as a good developer, which is said to be a decisive argument for sporting director Mislintat in particular.

In this context, FanQ asked German football fans whether the former coach of Midtjylland, Gent and Copenhagen can steer the Swabians out of the relegation zone. The supporters are initially sceptical. Only around a quarter (25.81 %) of those participating in the survey believe the Dane can lead Stuttgart further up the league table. In contrast, 32.26 %of those surveyed are of the opinion that Thorup is not the right coach to bring about a clear turning point at VfB. A further 24.73 % of fans are not familiar enough with the name and are therefore unsure.