After the final victory: VfB in the frenzy: cup party and new stationery

Deniz Undav proudly wore the shiny trophy for the VfB party marathon. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß meanwhile enjoyed the DFB Cup triumph with his father Dieter Dieter on the Spree. It was a “fat entry in VfB history”, thanked Stuttgart’s sports director Fabian Wohlgemuth of the team when she presented herself after the 4-2 against Arminia Bielefeld at the club’s celebrations with invited guests.

It is the first title of VfB since the 2007 championship and the first DFB Cup victory after almost three decades – naturally everyone was exuberant and in a good mood. “Now we probably have to buy new stationery – we can now afford it better,” joked Wohlgemuth.

City hall visit and Autokorso

The winning force didn’t want to sleep. “This is the most beautiful day in my life. This moment will stay forever,” said VfB captain Atakan Karazor. “Crazy,” said Nick Woltemade vertical start. “Phenomenal. Madness.”

The Swabians were able to blame themselves with their special pilot back home. In Stuttgart, they were invited to the Golden Book in front of a car corso and the planned party continuation with the fans on the Schlossplatz.

Fourth cup victory for Stuttgart

The joy of VfB’s fourth cup victory after 1954, 1958 and 1997 was “indescribable,” said VfB coach Hoeneß. At half past two he stood on the terrace of the “Spindler & Klatt” event restaurant and has not yet been able to understand what he and VfB have done. Now the 43-year-old has also won the second most important title in German football-as the next of the Hoeneß family after his uncle Uli and his father Dieter.

That the Bundesliga season was changeable – ticked off. All the setbacks of the moderate second half of the season – forget. The horror over the two goals in the last minutes of the long one -sided cup final – unimportant. Merciless, with efficiency and joy, the clearly favorite first division team had decisively exploited the mistakes of the third division champion and second division promoted Bielefeld. The sensational run of the Arminen was stopped. Four first division teams were desperate at the East Westphalia in the rounds.

2022 and 2023 almost relegated

“Pure ecstasy,” Karazor described the frenzy. “Everyone is happy, everyone wants to celebrate, everyone wants to drink, everyone wants to have fun,” said Undav about the team who continued on the banquet after the short visit. His preferred drink: Jägermeister. “I don’t like beer,” the goal scorer confessed. Angelo Stiller also likes to drink the herbal liqueur.

There was no reason in Stuttgart for such an exuberant title party. Quite the opposite. After the turbulent years of recent club history with two seasons in the 2nd league, the Swabians had to deal with the impending descent in 2022 and 2023. At the beginning, hardly anyone would have thought that the team under Hoeneß grows from the relegation participant to a title holder.

Since 2019, the capital for the association had been a place of relegation and grief, in Köpenick at Hertha’s City Rival Union Berlin, VfB had failed in the relegation at the time. Now the Berlin Olympic Stadium, the Hertha venue, is linked to a success “for eternity” (Wohlgemuth).

Another European Cup qualification can bring boost

After the runner-up and the Champions League return, the Stuttgarters secured the European League participation with the cup victory. The possibility of qualifying for the premier class again through the Bundesliga had played out with its result crisis.

But to be represented internationally for the second time in a row, the club offers the chance to continue to stabilize. The aim is to play European permanently.

“We may be able to inspire one or the other player who was not so enthusiastic before,” said Wohlgemuth. And the additional million income from the Europa League “already play a role”, according to the sports director. On the lawn, the Berlin -born had started a video call with his daughters in the audience. They then drove home for ten minutes. “So they could lie down in their own beds. That’s something special,” he said.

“The path we are going is enormous. We have now played two phenomenal seasons in succession,” said Woltemade. Hoeneß has a “very large” share of it.

However, Hoeneß had not taken off a bet like Joachim Löw. The ex-national coach, who led VfB to the cup in 1997, had to have his hair shaved at the winner’s party at the time.

“I already have a semi -bald. I do not know if it makes sense to let me cut a full bald head. Let’s see what happens,” said Hoeneß with a smile at the press conference – before his team caused an abrupt end with a champagne shower.