Like Alonso at Leverkusen, Hoeneß has found success at Stuttgart by turning his back on the perceived wisdom of German football
While Bayer Leverkusen’s remarkable 3-0 victory over Bayern Munich stole just about all the headlines in the Bundesliga this weekend, few fans of the German top-flight would have allowed Monday to pass them by without noticing another managerial change in the league. Just 12 games after replacing Bo Svensson as Mainz head coach, Jan Siewert was relieved of his duties as the Carneval club sit joint bottom of the table.
Mainz are in all sorts of trouble this season, as they come to terms with a weakened squad and a tougher league to compete in. And that fact surely wouldn’t have been lost on their opponents on Saturday: Stuttgart, who won the game comfortably by three clear goals, were in the exact same position not that long ago. Then along came Sebastian Hoeneß.
Since Hoeneß was appointed Stuttgart head coach in April 2023 only four head coaches in German football have won more points in the Bundesliga - Thomas Tuchel, Xabi Alonso, Edin Terzic and Marco Rose - but while the first remain locked in a tantalising duo for the title, the latter two now seem at serious risk of being completely outshone by this new and intriguing young contender. In no uncertain terms, the Swabian club have shot up the table this season and claimed third spot as their own.
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