Football Season Guide

It was a season of struggle for Stuttgart last time out, only securing their safety on the final day after a last-minute winner against Koln. The Swabians failed to get any rhythm going throughout the campaign and were hit hard by injuries to key players. The club continues to back coach Pellegrino Matarazzo as part of their rebuilding process, despite this taking a backward step last season. There is plenty of talent in his young squad but getting the best out of them has so far proved difficult. The main goal for Stuttgart in the summer has been to try and keep hold of their better players. Left-back Borno Sosa continues to be a target for top clubs, while top scorer Saza Kalajdzic is also being touted. Midfielder Orel Mangala is on his way to Nottingham Forest but they should receive a healthy fee for his services. The right-back area was a problem last season but this has been addressed with the signing of promising youngster Josh Vagnoman from Hamburger, how quickly he can adjust to the Bundesliga though, remains to be seen. If Kalajdzic does leave, you wonder where the goals will come from, the side struggled without the Austrian last season when he was injured for long spells. Colombian Juan Jose Perea from the Greek league may be the answer, but it could take time for him to adjust. The permanent signings of Konstantinos Mavrapanos and Hiroki Ito in defence are positives for the club and you would expect them to be solid enough in this area. The return of long-term injured winger Silas Wamangutika could also be a big boost if they can keep him fit.