Sebastian Hoeneß Demands Stronger Squad for Champions League

Sebastian Hoeneß is not in the mood for polite diplomacy. Not this summer, not with a Champions League campaign on the horizon, and certainly not when he feels VfB Stuttgart are drifting into it underpowered.

Out at the training camp in Grassau, the coach cut through the usual pre-season platitudes with a message that landed squarely on the desks of the club’s decision-makers.

“A coach's aim must always be to keep the best players. Billy is without doubt one of our best players,” he said, addressing the reported interest in Bilal El Khannouss. Then he widened the lens. “We are playing a Champions League season. The point is that we also start this competition in a strong position. That is why I do have the wish that, instead of losing substance, we add substance.”

That last line was not an aside. It was a warning.

Champions League coming, patience running out

Hoeneß knows exactly what he wants and, crucially, when he wants it. The clock is already bothering him.

“Ideally, potential that does not first have to be developed, but has already been unlocked,” he explained. “I hope that we will still become active. There is not much time left and a large part of pre-season is already over. That is why the wish is great that we manage to get a strong squad to the start.”

This is not the voice of a coach gently nudging his superiors. It is the sound of a man who remembers last summer all too well.

Back then, his irritation at the squad planning was obvious. Now, with Stuttgart back among Europe’s elite, the stakes are higher, the tone sharper. A Champions League season is coming; Stuttgart’s coach is staring at his options and sees too many gaps, especially in attack.

Limited arrivals, glaring needs

Sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth and chief executive Alexander Wehrle have not been idle. Leo Sauer, Tim van der Leij, goalkeeper Marius Funk and midfielder Grischa Prömel have all arrived on the Neckar.

Useful pieces, yes. But not enough to calm the coach.

The need for more firepower up front is plain. Stuttgart are still pushing hard for Dzenan Pejcinovic to fill the central striker role, yet talks with VfL Wolfsburg over the fee are dragging. Every delay tightens the tension. Every day without a solution underlines Hoeneß’s concerns.

He has seen this movie before.

Echoes of the Woltemade saga

Last season, the fault lines between coach and hierarchy were already visible. The departure of Nick Woltemade to Newcastle United for a record fee of up to €90 million may have made financial sense, but it ripped a hole in Hoeneß’s plans.

Before the home game against Borussia Mönchengladbach, he did not bother to mask his anger.

“The fact is that it is a bitter loss for us,” he said then. “Last summer we set out a few things that we wanted to implement. And I have to say very clearly that, even before Nick was transferred now, we had not yet completely managed to implement these things. The squad is not where it was intended to be.”

Even the historic income from Woltemade’s sale did not soften his stance. “Of course there is a financial situation. But the sporting responsibility lies with the coach.”

Those words still hang in the air. They give context to every sentence he utters now.

Turbulent searches, late solutions

The scramble to replace Woltemade turned chaotic. Stuttgart thought they had their man in Hyeon-Gyu Oh from KRC Genk, only for the deal to collapse at the last moment. After hours of negotiations, medical concerns on Stuttgart’s side and a sizeable gap over the transfer fee killed the move.

The pressure finally told just before the end of the 2025 summer window. VfB reacted late, bringing in Bilal El Khannouss on loan from Leicester City, a creative spark to patch a problem rather than a carefully staged step. The day before, winger Badredine Bouanani had arrived from OGC Nice for around €15 million.

Two signings, both with promise, both arriving after a turbulent chase. Useful, again. But reactive. And Hoeneß has not forgotten how close Stuttgart came to entering the season short-handed.

Same questions, higher level

That is why his words in Grassau carry such weight. The club has climbed, expectations have risen, and yet the old questions linger. Can Stuttgart keep their best players? Will the coach get proven quality rather than long-term projects? Will the squad be ready when the Champions League anthem plays?

Hoeneß has made his position unmistakable. He wants substance, not explanations. And this time, with Europe watching, Stuttgart’s response will define more than just one transfer window.