Bundesliga strugglers Stuttgart axe Labbadia and hire Sebastian Hoeness

Stuttgart have lost their last three league games without scoring. They are five points behind Hoffenheim, the club Hoeness managed for two seasons, in the last safe spot.

Stuttgart said Hoeness had signed a contract until 2025, regardless of their league status.

"It's about the immediate impact, but also about what we want to push for at VfB beyond the season," said the club's sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth.

"Sebastian knows both how to deal with top talent in the youth sector and professional football."

Hoeness is the son of one German international, Dieter, and the nephew of another, Uli, the former Bayern Munich club president.

"I'm really looking forward to the challenge," said Hoeness. "I have a great emotional connection to VfB. I followed the club as a fan in my youth, played here myself for several years in the youth and won the German championship title with the U17s in 1999."

Hoeness led Bayern's second team to a third-division title in 2019. He joined Hoffenheim in July 2020 but was released in May 2022 after guiding the club to a ninth-place finish.

Labbadia, who is 57, returned to Stuttgart for a second stint as head coach in December 2022 during the Bundesliga's break for the World Cup. He replaced American Pellegrino Matarazzo, who has since taken over at Hoffenheim.

Stuttgart were 12th when Labbadia took over, four points clear of Hoffenheim who were in the first relegation spot at the time. He won two of his 12 games.

"Bruno Labbadia took on the big challenge last December, under circumstances that were not easy," said Wohlgemuth. "Despite some good performances, we have lost further ground in the fight to stay in the league in recent weeks."

Stuttgart travel to second-division Nuremberg for a German cup quarter-final on Wednesday before visiting Bochum who are just above the relegation zone, on Sunday.

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© Agence France-Presse