Sebastian Hoeneß: Who is the young German coach transforming VfB Stuttgart's fortunes?
With success written into his DNA, it’s no wonder Sebastian Hoeneß has turned VfB Stuttgart from a relegation-threatened Bundesliga club into a club celebrating famous UEFA Champions League nights. bundesliga.com has the career skinny on one of Germany's most promising young coaches...
Sebastian Hoeneß
Age: 42 (born 12 May 1982)
Club: VfB Stuttgart
Role: Head coach
Country of birth: Germany
Key stats
A player first, and coach later, Hoeneß started out in the youth ranks of Bavarian club TSV Ottobrunn. The Munich native later lined up in the various Stuttgart youth teams, before spending 11 years with the Hertha Berlin reserves, via a one-season stint at Hoffenheim. An attacking midfielder in his pomp, he produced seven goals and 20 assists across his 174 professional appearances,
Within a year of hanging up his playing boots, Hoeneß stepped into the dugout with capital club Hertha Zehlendorf’s U19s. His promise took him to the helm of the RB Leipzig U17s in 2016/17. Bayern made the move that summer, initially charging him with overseeing the youth and U19 teams. He took over the newly promoted reserves in time for 2019/20, steering the club from 15th at Christmas to 3. Liga champions on the final day, thanks to an eye-catching haul of 43 points from a possible 57 during the second half of the campaign.
The brains behind the first reserve team in history to win Germany's Third Division, Hoeness was recognised as the 3. Liga Coach of the Season. But for league rules which stipulate a club can only have one representative across Germany’s top two divisions, he’d have presided over the team in Bundesliga 2. His achievement did not go unnoticed, however, and he was able to leapfrog Bundesliga 2 entirely to land in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim in 2020. He led them to 11th in his first season, finishing ninth in his second before a parting of ways.
Out of work until April 2023, Hoeneß returned to where his playing career had begun and saved Stuttgart from relegation via the play-off. Come the end of his first full campaign at the helm, VfB were celebrating a return to the Champions League, thanks to a stunning runners-up finish behind Bayer Leverkusen. Stuttgart smashed some 78 goals during the season, with the sudden emergence of Serhou Guirassy as a master finisher (with a club record 28 goals over the campaign) epitomising Hoeneß's transformative impact on his players.
Stuttgart wasted no time in taking their bold style to new heights on the international stage in 2024/25, pushing reigning European champions Real Madrid close before claiming a famous win at Juventus.
Coaches a bit like: Hansi Flick
An exponent of a 4-2-3-1 formation, Hoeneß strikes the necessary balance between defensive stability and expansive attacking football. When his team finds that perfect flow, the results are spectacular, as Stuttgart's richly deserved Champions League win in Turin or the 5-1 humbling of Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 4 of 2024/25 attests to. Throw in a German passport and you may believe you are staring the next Hansi Flick in the face.
Watch: Hoeneß's Stuttgart hit five past Dortmund in 2024/25
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Did you know?
Sebastian is the son of former Aalen, Stuttgart, Bayern and Germany striker, Dieter Hoeneß. As for uncle Uli, he played in the great Bayern team of the 1970s and won the 1972 UEFA European Football Championship and 1974 FIFA World Cup with Germany, before enjoying an acclaimed tenure as Bayern general manager and president.
What they’re saying
"Sebastian puts his heart and soul into what we're doing at Stuttgart, and accepts the framework he's working in - no question. His appointment has been a real success." - VfB sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth
"I saw what he did last year. What a great job! If Stuttgart is here, it’s because of that. They are a great team and very organised." - Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti ahead of facing Hoeneß's Stuttgart in their 2024/25 UEFA Champions League opener
"What Sebastian Hoeneß and his team achieved is fantastic" - former Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on the reserve team's table-topping efforts
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