VfB Stuttgart's most famous European nights: Where does their Juventus UEFA Champions League win rank?
One of the biggest teams in Germany due to their supporter base and storied history, VfB Stuttgart haven’t quite had the same success in Europe.
Five-time German champions and three-time DFB Cup winners, the Swabians have a fan base and academy to put them up there with some of the continent's most iconic teams.
However, there's a reason why Tuesday, 22 October 2024 will live long in the memory. Back in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 14 years, Stuttgart gave fans a moment to tell their grandchildren about by downing Juventus away in Turin.
But what moments may their grandparents have told them about during Stuttgart’s previous continental adventures, and where does their Italian job rank among their most famous European nights? Well, bundesliga.com is here to investigate…
5) 2009 UCL group drama
European nights weren’t uncommon for Stuttgart in the early 2000s, with the team winning the Bundesliga in 2007 and regularly recording top-four finishes. However, forays past the group stages weren’t such a formality.
In 2009, they did make it through, setting up a famous visit by Lionel Messi’s Barcelona at the MHP Arena. Getting there had required some work, however, as Markus Babbel’s side began the campaign with three draws before defeat to Sevilla saw the coach dismissed and replaced by Christian Gross. Sevilla were out in front and the battle was on for second place and knockout qualification, and it looked like Romanian surprise package Unirea Urziceni were going to take line honours after beating Rangers and Sevilla.
But winless Stuttgart had other ideas. They took three points against Rangers on the penultimate matchday, and then with their last chance they triumphed in a must win head-to-head clash with Urziceni, blitzing them with three goals in the first 11 minutes of Gross's very first match in charge. Their reward was a trip to the Camp Nou, before Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Catalans visited Swabia.
4) Dresden and a date with Maradona
A whole 20 years before Messi visited Stuttgart, his predecessor as the game’s greatest Argentine, and possibly its best-ever player full stop, Diego Maradona made the trip with Napoli as part of the famous two-legged 1989 UEFA Cup final.
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Stuttgart earned their place in the final by taking down Dynamo Dresden in the semis. Karl Allgöwer was the hero in a 1-0 home first-leg win at the Neckarstadion, as Stuttgart's arena was known at the time, and he then followed up in the return leg in East Germany. Allgöwer made it 1-0 again, but Stuttgart were forced to hold out for a 2-1 aggregate win after Frank Lieberam’s late equaliser. Despite Stuttgart's falling to Napoli in the final by just a single goal over two legs, the Dresden ties have gone down in club history.
3) Taking down the Red Devils
With the now-legendary Felix Magath at the helm and a 2002 Intertoto Cup win together under their belt, Stuttgart faced high expectations as they returned to the Champions League for the first time in 11 years - but no one expected them to beat Manchester United.
Sir Alex Fergusons’ side were one of the most feared in the world after their 1999 European triumph and multiple Premier League titles, so being drawn in Group E with the Red Devils was a tough ask.
Things didn’t start well, with a defeat to Rangers, but Stuttgart quickly turned the group on its head by taking down United in front of their home supporters on 1 October. Imre Szabics and Kevin Kurényi scored for a shock two-goal lead, but nerves quickly sank in when Ruud van Nistelrooy scored from the spot to make it 2-1. Fernando Meira then had a chance to make it 3-1 with a penalty of his own, and although he missed, Stuttgart still held on for a night their supporters would never forget.
Magath’s side went on to win their next three group games and reach the knockout rounds for just the second time ever, but a single Gianfranco Zola goal stopped them from making it past Chelsea in the last 16.
2) First of two European trophies
The Intertoto Cup presented Stuttgart with their first chance of European silverware in 2000 and they duly made their way to the final by beating Neuchâtel Xamax, Lens and Standard Liège.
Under the guidance of a fresh-faced young Ralf Rangnick, they clinched the first continental silverware ever to stand proudly in the club's trophy cabinet. Pablo Thiam and Krasimir Balakov scored away in Auxerre, and when Olivier Kapo cut the deficit to 2-1 back in Stuttgart, Balakov was there to extend their lead and collect the trophy in front of the home support.
Stuttgart would win the Intertoto Cup again two years later, and that new winning mentality undoubtedly set them up for more honours throughout the 2000s, including their famous Bundesliga triumph.
1) A modern-day masterclass
The 2023/24 Bundesliga runners-up were already feeling hard-done by after losing late against Real Madrid after a brilliant performance in their Champions League opener in the current campaign. So when they recorded a 1-1 draw against Sparta Prague, a win on their return to the comeptition after a 14-year absence was beginning to feel overdue.
However, it did look like they would probably have to wait until Matchday 4, given that their next opponents, Juventus, boasted the best defence in Europe’s big five leagues with just one goal conceded in eight Serie A matches.
The fact that they were taking on Thiago Motta’s side in Turin made things even tougher, but straight from the off it was clear that Sebastian Hoeneß had a plan to cause an upset. Stuttgart completely dominated proceedings, and at the start of the second half they looked to have taken the lead through Deniz Undav, but the goal was ruled out for handball.
Not letting up, the visitors continued to dominate the ball and the chances, and looked set to get a deserved winner from the spot in the 86th minute, but Enzo Millot’s penalty was saved. An unjust point looked likely, but then Millot made amends by setting up El Bilal Touré for a famous stoppage-time winner.
It may be early in the Champions League campaign, but it was a completely dominant win against an elite side, showing that Stuttgart are where they belong - and that this set of supporters could be in for one hell of a ride!
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