Bergas Brillianto continues our Transfer Gurus series with an assessment of the catalyst of Stuttgart’s revival, Sporting Director Fabian Wohlgemuth
One appointment in the winter of 2022 changed VfB Stuttgart completely. Before it, Stuttgart were 16th in the Bundesliga table. They had won just three times (the fewest in the league) and collected just 14 points from 15 games. The club was on edge. They could be relegated to the 2. Bundesliga. In reality: they almost were. They needed a play-off against HSV to stay in the Bundesliga.
But Stuttgart finished second in the Bundesliga last season. They finished ahead of big clubs like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. They won 23 times and lost only 7. Stuttgart only conceded 39 goals all season – the second best in the league. They secured a Champions League ticket for next season. Their style of football has been praised around the world. And once again, it comes down to that one appointment: when the club’s board appointed Fabian Wohlgemuth as sporting director.
Brief Introduction to Fabian Wohlgemuth
Fabian Wohlgemuth’s playing career never reached the heights of the top flight. The Berlin native spent his time with local clubs such as Croatia Berlin and TeBe Berlin before a knee injury while playing for Chemnitzer FC tragically ended his playing dreams at the age of 22. His passion for the game never died, however, and he went on to forge a successful career behind the scenes.
Wohlgemuth’s off-pitch journey began in the northern and central regions of Germany. Between 2009 and 2018, he honed his skills as head of scouting for the youth departments of prestigious clubs such as HSV and VfL Wolfsburg. At Wolfsburg, he was instrumental in setting up the academy and unearthed a gem in Maximilian Arnold, the current Wolfsburg captain. His work culminated in a senior position as Head of Youth Development at Wolfsburg.
From 2018 to 2022, Wohlgemuth took on the role of Sporting Director (or Managing Director of Sport) at Holstein Kiel and SC Paderborn. During his time at Wolfsburg, he helped build a strong youth system and identify talent such as Arnold. His time at SC Paderborn stands out as a testament to his abilities. Despite financial difficulties, Wohlgemuth steered the club to competitive finishes (9th and 7th in the 2. Bundesliga) while playing attractive, attacking football under coaches such as Stefan Baumgart (now at FC Cologne) and Lukas Kwasniok.
This combination of experience and ability to build a competitive team with limited resources caught the eye of Stuttgart in 2022. Recognising Wohlgemuth’s success in developing attractive football in Paderborn and working with coaches like Baumgart and Kwasniok, Stuttgart’s board wanted to replicate that philosophy at their club.
Wohlgemuth’s first task as Stuttgart’s sporting director was a crucial one – finding a new coach. The board were desperate for an attacking minded manager to lead the club out of their current slump. Initially, however, the search stalled. Bruno Labadia, an experienced coach with previous experience at Stuttgart (2010-2013), was brought in. Unfortunately, the appointment proved unsuccessful, lasting just 120 days as Stuttgart remained stuck in the relegation zone.
Undeterred, Wohlgemuth turned to his Paderborn playbook to find a coach who shared his vision of attacking football. Idea over names. His choice was Sebastian Hoeness, whose CV included stints at Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and TSG Hoffenheim – all clubs known for their attacking style – and he took over in April 2023 with the situation still perilous.
Hoeness not only secured Stuttgart’s Bundesliga status through the relegation play-offs of the 2022/23 season, but also instilled a vibrant, attacking brand of football that was widely praised. His success even led to him being mentioned as a potential candidate for the Liverpool and Chelsea managerial vacancies. But it’s important to remember that it was Wohlgemuth who brought former colleague Hoeness to the club, recognising his potential and trusting in his philosophy. Wohlgemuth also spent a great deal of time building the squad that would allow Hoeness to put his ideas into practice on the pitch.
Prioritising Profit with Smart Recruitment
The 2023/24 season saw a number of significant departures for Stuttgart. First-choice centre-back Konstantinos Mavropanos joined West Ham, captain Wataru Endo moved to Liverpool, unsung left-back and leading assist provider Borna Sosa joined Ajax, and goalkeeper Florian Müller signed for Freiburg. Fabian Wohlgemuth was faced with the daunting task of replacing these key figures. Remarkably, he did so with a budget far less than the €50 million he received from player sales.
Wohlgemuth’s transfer dealings demonstrated his intelligence. Consider the replacement for Endo, sold for €20 million. Angelo Stiller, bought for a mere €5.5 million, proved to be a perfect fit for Hoeness’ system. Last season, Stiller led the Stuttgart team in progressive passing, completing 92% of his short passes and averaging 2.78 tackles + interceptions per 90 minutes. He seamlessly filled Endo’s defensive role while becoming the metronome for Hoeness’ short-passing system.
A similar brilliance was seen in his replacement for Sosa. The €8m sale of the Croatian left-back to Ajax was offset by the €500,000 signing of Maximilian Mittelstaedt. Although only a year older than Sosa, Mittelstaedt brought with him a wealth of Bundesliga experience from Hertha Berlin. However, his real value lies in his tactical intelligence. He excels at both overlapping runs to provide width and under-lapping movements to support the central midfield, a skill that earned him a surprise starting berth at left-back for Germany at the recent Euro.
Wohlgemuth’s wisdom extended beyond these two examples. He secured the services of Serhou Guirassy on a permanent basis and added young talents such as Woo-yeong Jeong to the squad. Most notably, he opted to promote Waldemar Anton, Hiroki Ito and Dan-Axel Zagadou rather than directly replace Mavropanos. Anton’s exceptional season even earned him a call-up to Germany’s Euro 2024 squad.
Wohlgemuth’s transfer strategy defies age-based patterns. He balances investment in young prospects with the acquisition of (mostly undervalued) players still in their prime. Look at the data: 5 of 14 players that Wohlgemuth brought permanently or loaned are 26-27 years old. This ensures both long-term development and immediate competitiveness. His meticulously constructed squad is a perfect match for Hoeness’ attacking style of play. Wohlgemuth wanted to make sure the team could compete now. He wanted to make sure that the squad he was building was capable of playing Hoeness’s brand of football right from the start. And he does all this while managing to make a profit of €65.81 million.
Loan Masterclass: Adding Depth and Quality
The story of Wohlgemuth’s transformation of Stuttgart’s squad goes beyond clever acquisitions. His loan policy has also been a masterstroke. In his short time in charge, he’s brought in six loan players, most of whom made a significant contribution to Stuttgart’s success under Hoeness last season.
Deniz Undav exemplifies this strategy. Barely used at Brighton under Roberto de Zerbi, Undav flourished in Hoeness’ system. He offered a different attacking dimension – the intelligence of movement, speed and link-up play – to complement Guirassy’s physicality and directness. Undav’s impact was undeniable: 18 goals and 10 assists earned him a Euro call-up.
Another key loan signing was Alexander Nübel. Signed by Bayern Munich in 2020 as Manuel Neuer’s heir apparent, Nübel struggled for game time. Wohlgemuth capitalised on this by signing Nübel after Florian Müller’s move to Freiburg. Not only did Nübel strengthen Stuttgart’s goalkeeping options, but he also offered excellent ball-playing skills – a key element in Hoeness’s system. This prompted Wohlgemuth to extend the loan until 2026.
The other loan signings also made valuable contributions. Jamie Leweling’s pace as a winger suited Hoeness’ tactics perfectly, resulting in four goals and four assists in 17 Bundesliga appearances.The numbers that helped him stay in Stuttgart permanently from this summer. Leonidas Stergiou’s defensive versatility provided valuable options, while centre-back Anthony Rouault impressed enough to earn a permanent transfer this summer.
Wohlgemuth’s loan strategy underlines his ability to identify talent and address squad needs efficiently. Through the strategic use of loans, he’s added depth, quality and specific skills that perfectly complement Hoeness’ attacking philosophy. This approach has been instrumental in Stuttgart’s resurgence, and with talents such as Nübel under contract until 2026, it appears that Wohlgemuth’s mastery of the loan market will continue to be a key weapon in Stuttgart’s arsenal.
Next: Busy Summer Transfer Window
The summer is starting early for Fabian Wohlgemuth. Before the end of last season, he had already secured an important victory for Stuttgart by extending the contract of Sebastian Hoeness, thus ensuring that the highly sought-after coach would remain at the club despite interest from wealthier clubs. However, reality hasn’t been kind to Wohlgemuth. He has already lost two key players this summer: Hiroki Ito moved to Bayern Munich and Waldemar Anton to Borussia Dortmund.
The transfer fees for both players totalled a considerable €46 million, which Wohlgemuth has begun to put to good use. In addition to three successful loan signings – Leweling, Rouault and Stergiou – Wohlgemuth has already brought eight new players to the MHP Arena. Jeff Chabot, a €4 million acquisition from FC Cologne, is expected to strengthen the defence next season. Ramon Hendricks arrives on loan from Feyenoord to further strengthen the backline.
Wohlgemuth pulled off a coup by signing highly-rated young talent Nick Woltemade on a free transfer from Werder Bremen. Woltemade’s versatility as a striker or second striker will cover for the possible departure of Deniz Undav, whose permanent arrival from Brighton seems unlikely due to the club’s high asking price. While Woltemade may lack Undav’s pace, his intelligence could free up space for the main striker.
Despite these eleven additions, Stuttgart still need more depth, especially considering their Bundesliga and Champions League ambitions. If Guirassy also leaves and Undav doesn’t return, they will still need first-team quality strikers to replace their top scorers from last season. Reports suggest that Niclas Füllkrug is their main target, and it sounds like a very good target in terms of quality and price.
Wohlgemuth acknowledges the challenge of retaining stars when faced with lucrative offers from German giants and Premier League clubs. Wohlgemuth knows that he will probably lose his stars in that condition. But one thing he does know is that he can enter the transfer market by using the money wisely with smart recruitment: He doesn’t need to buy more stars, but rather players who fit into Hoeness’ system. It worked last season.
As he said in an interview with the Stuttgarter Zeitung, he has a house with a good foundation and can’t immediately consider adding a second floor. The first thing he has to think about is how to make the house stable. And that’s how he sees the transfer market: He doesn’t want to think about expensive players because Stuttgart already achieved something last season, but he wants to make sure that Stuttgart can still be competitive and still make a profit, or at least have a healthy financial situation. That is why he was appointed in the first place: To maximise limited resources and get the best out of them, both on and off the pitch.
Header image copyright IMAGO / Pressefoto Baumann
