Now it is there: the fear of hope. The deceptive longing to make possible what seemed impossible just a few weeks ago. It may sound absurd, but this “battle for relegation” was predicted by Stuttgart squad planner Sven Mislintat at the beginning of the season.
The path of building a sustainable team with young people was consistently pursued in Stuttgart. If necessary, as emphasized by Mislintat and coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, it will also be continued in the 2nd division.
So it’s inopportune that Stuttgart’s new CEO, Alexander Wehrle, of all people, avoided a clear commitment to the Matarazzo/Mislintat duo. After the end of the season, they want to “go into the analysis, look at the course of the season and look to the future.” Not a happy statement before what is probably the most important game of the season.
Wehrle’s predecessor Thomas Hitzlsperger, an icon at VfB after his championship goal in 2007, had always backed his promotion duo until he left in March. But he is no longer there.
Even if hardly anyone on Mercedesstraße currently believes that you have to look for a new coach for the new season, whether in the second or first division, the lightness of the past season has evaporated.
And as of today, a few hours before the season finale against 1. FC Köln (in the live ticker on t-online), no one dares to predict how things will turn out for the proud traditional club from Cannstatt. Only one thing is certain: tears can flow on the Neckar on Saturday. Of luck or fear of relegation.