VfB Stuttgart

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Stuttgart still want reinforcements

VfB Stuttgart were missing six EURO players as they resumed training with newcomers Jan Simak und Martin Lanig. German internationals Jens Lehmann, Mario Gomez und Thomas Hitzlsperger are due to report on 21. Juli. Also missing after EURO duty are Swiss Ludovic Magnin, Romania's Ciprian Marica and Portugal's Fernando Meira. .

Ricardo Osorio and Pavel Pardo are due back on 7. July after playing for Mexico in the World Cup qualifying round. Coach Armin Veh hopes for two new signings in addition to Simak und Lanig. "We need a fourth central defender and a midfielder. That's all we have the money for." He's counting on Germany striker Gomez staying with the club.

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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A guest trains with VfB

Officially his contract with Stuttgart only ends on Monday 30. June. But Silvio Meißner actually hung up his boots in May at the end of the season, bringing a long and successful career to an end.

As a result, he didn't join the team in Donaueschingen at the club's training camp. Nonetheless, "Meise" spent yesterday and this morning on club business.

In his new function as scout, he and former Stuttgart player Olaf Schmäler brought a guest to the club.: he is 24-year old Iranian Shic Rezaei Khonakdar who will try out with Armin Veh's team over the next few days.

The big defender, who is with Iranian club Persepolis, plays for the national team. He's used to playing on the right or the centre in defence and also in midfield.

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[kyan]

I don't know much about this guy, but it says here that he's a RB who's "good on the ball and has good technique for a defender".

For Iran he's got stiff competition at RB though with Kaabi and Mahdavikia both able to play there and they usually get the nod (he's only got 6 caps, although 1 goal as well).

It'll be interesting to see how he does though, this is shaping up to be a very good summer for Iranian footballers.

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Hoffenheim sign VfB player

Andreas Beck is transferring from VfB Stuttgart to newly promoted 1899 Hoffenheim with immediate effect.

Neither party have released the details of the fee involved in the deal. The 21 year old, who had been at VfB since July 2000, made 27 Bundesliga appearances for Stuttgart and scored one goal.

The right full-back has also won 16 international caps with the German U21's.

This morning, after breakfast, Beck said goodbye to his VfB colleagues and departed the training camp in Donaueschingen.

A sensible solution

On the subject of the transfer of Beck, VfB team manager Horst Heldt commented: "Hoffenheim stepped up their efforts to sign Andreas Beck over the past few days. Having had several rounds of negotiations we eventually came to an agreement on the transfer details. That's why we allowed Andi to make this move, which is a sensible solution for all involved."

On his departure Andreas Beck said: "This wasn't an easy decision for me to make, having spent eight very happy years with VfB and crowned that with the championship win in 2007. In spite of that, I see a better opportunity for my further development in Hoffenheim."

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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VfB striker pens new deal

VfB striker Manuel Fischer has extended his contract, which would have expired in summer 2009, with VfB Stuttgart until 30.06.2011.

The youngster has been at VfB since his youth football days and made his professional senior debut for the club in last season's Champions League against FC Barcelona.

Fischer scored his first Bundesliga goal in the last game of last season against Arminia Bielefeld.

Talented prospect

VfB coach Armin Veh commented on the extension with Fischer: "Manuel is a talented young prospect. He worked hard last season and earned his break with the first team. He will become a feature in the Bundesliga be it sooner or later."

Having not been included in the DFB U19 squad for the European Championships in the Czech Republic, the striker will be available to VfB for their Inter-Toto-Cup campaign.

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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VfB Stuttgart - FV 08 Rottweil 8:0 (4:0)

To round off their first week long training camp in Donaueschingen, the VfB players travelled to Rottweil for a friendly against non-league FV 08 Rottweil. For the game, trainer Armin Veh was still without eight players who had been away on international duty during the summer whilst Alexander Stolz and Danijel Ljuboja were also forced to pull out with slight injuries.

With just five minutes played, the 3,500 strong crowd saw Manuel Fischer put VfB in front with a header from a Roberto Hilbert cross.

Rugged Rottweil

A determined Rottweil side managed to hold their Bundesliga guests at bay for a further 20 minutes, not least thanks to the efforts of goalkeeper Fabian Schwarz, but he could do little to prevent Jan Simak making it 2:0 (25). Manuel Fischer made it three for VfB five minutes later and before the break, Roberto Hilbert struck from distance to make the half time score 4:0.

In the second period, new signing Clemens Walch got VfB's fifth before Marco Pischorn, and a brace from Sven Schipplock made the final score 8:0. Due to torrential rain, the referee blew for time with a good quarter hour to go but by that stage, Armin Veh's men had done their job well.

The VfB line-up: Ulreich - Hilbert (46. Funk), Tasci (46. Nyman), Delpierre (46. Pischorn), Träsch - Khedira (46. Rudy), Pardo (46. Mandjeck), Bastürk (46. Lanig), Simak (46. Walch) - Cacau (46. Morys), Fischer (46. Schipplock)

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[RunX]

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Stuttgart Offload Farnerud To Brondby

Bundesliga side Stuttgart have sold Swedish midfielder Alexander Farnerud to Danish side Brondby.

The Swedish international has had an unhappy time at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion since joining two years ago from Strasbourg.

Having made just 20 Bundesliga appearances, it has been decided that a move would be best for both parties and the Swede has signed a four-year deal with Brondby.

“Our midfield in particular has a huge amount of competition for places” VfB manager Horst Heldt told the club’s website.

“Alexander Farnerud was unable to break through as we would have hoped, so a change of clubs is the best solution for everyone” he added.

Goal.com - VfB Stuttgart - Stuttgart Offload Farnerud To Brondby

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SG Sonnenhof Großaspach - VfB Stuttgart 1-3 (1-1)

VfB: Ulreich (46. Stolz) - Hilbert, Tasci, Delpierre (70. R. Schuster), Boka (65. Träsch) - Pardo (46. Lanig), Khedira (65. Mandjeck) - Bastürk (65. Rudy), Simak, Morys (46. Ljuboja) - Cacau (70. Fischer)

Goals:1-0 Binakaj (13.), 1-1 Cacau (25.), 1-2 Lanig (47.), 1-3 Rudy

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2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup third round
First leg: 19/20 July
Second leg: 26/27 July

FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast (RUS) v VfB Stuttgart (GER)

Winners enter UEFA Cup second qualifying round.

uefa.com - UEFA Intertoto Cup - News & Features - News Specific

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Meira No Longer Stuttgart Captain

Stuttgart trainer Armin Veh has decided to replace defender Fernando Meira as team captain next season.

The Portuguese international has been the subject of increased transfer speculation this summer and trainer Armin Veh has decided to replace him as team captain regardless of whether he leaves or stays.

The club have revealed that they haven’t as yet received any offers for their defensive lynch-pin and team manager Horst Heldt is of the opinion that Meira will stay with the Swabians.

“I know nothing about him wanting to leave. He has said nothing to me” Heldt explained.

The new captain has not been named as yet, but is expected to be revealed in the coming week at the club’s training camp at Going in Austria.

The main candidates are midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, Mario Gomez and new veteran goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.

Meira was the captain who led the club to the Bundesliga title in 2007.

Goal.com - VfB Stuttgart - Meira No Longer Stuttgart Captain

Lehmann is seriously a candidate? LOL, Stuttgart are a joke!

I understand why Gomez is a strong candidate, that is a smart move.
They want to give him the armband, to persuade him to stay at the club for longer.

Hitzslsperger wouldn't be bad, either.

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Originally Posted by Trim

2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup third round
First leg: 19/20 July
Second leg: 26/27 July

FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast (RUS) v VfB Stuttgart (GER)

Winners enter UEFA Cup second qualifying round.

uefa.com*-*UEFA Intertoto Cup*-*News & Features*-*News Specific

Stuttgart lost the first match leg today, in Russia. What a shame, the Russian team beat them 1-0, with an early goal scored in the 3rd minute. They were without some key players though, mainly their captain Hitzlsperger, and former captain Meira, who has left the club.

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Lehmann draws crowds

There always seems to be something going on with VfB lately. It was a pleasant relief to see the rain let up for a change, but on the day, the attention was focused somewhere else entirely. The final player to join VfB's pre-season preparations took to the pitch for the first time today - new signing Jens Lehmann.

The 38 year old captured the attention of fans and journalists alike as he went through the warm up programme with the rest of the team before joining up with goalkeeping coach Ebbo Trautner for some specialised training.

Cacau back in training

The training match at the end of the day received little attention from the 300 spectators in the stadium. Even the return of Cacau made little difference, as all the fans were gathered at the other end of the pitch and later on a small section of turf off the pitch.

They were following Jens Lehmann, the undisputed most popular man of the day. The afternoon training session will also feature Lehmann as well as EURO participants Khalid Boulahrouz, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Mario Gomez, while the rest of the squad will have their first time off since training camp began.

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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Difficult task for Stuttgart

Captain and star striker still miss out, just as the most important signings, and VfB Stuttgart are a goal down from the first leg: the going-in position could be a lot better ahead of the second leg in the UEFA Intertoto Cup against Saturn Ramenskoje (Sunday, 18:00).

But VfB surely haven't given up yet. "It will be very, very difficult. But we will try everything to reach the UEFA Cup", coach Armin Veh says ahead of the make-or-break clash.

The coach refuses to promise that VfB will reach the UEFA Cup via the UIC for the third time, just as in 2000 and 2002, however. "I'm not a charlatan. Who am I to know who will win the match?"

Without several key players

The 1-0 defeat from the first leg is a burden, and Veh also will be without several key players.

German internationals Thomas Hitzlsperger, Mario Gomez and Jens Lehmann and new signing Khalid Boulahrouz - who all took part in EURO 2008 - are not match fit yet, and Charles Mandjeck is preparing for the Olympics with Cameroon.

Osorio and Magnin back

On the other hand striker Cacau (muscular problems) and defender Matthieu Delpierre (infection) are back, just as Ricardo Osorio and Ludovic Magnin.

Osorio and Magnin could come in for Arthur Boka and Yildiray Bastürk, and striker Danijel Ljuboja is likely to lose his place to Ciprian Marica.

Topic brace

Ramenskoje have respect for the 2007 Bundesliga champions. "Stuttgart will surely play better than in Russia. It will be difficult to go through", coach Gadji Gadjiev said.

Saturn got another confidence boost in this week's league match, with former Cottbus player Marko Topic scoring twice in the 4-0 win over Shinnik Yaroslavl.

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They better win, otherwise they'd bring shame to the country (Germany).