VfB Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeneß has settled his side's goalkeeping question ahead of Saturday's Bundesliga trip to SC Paderborn.
Dennis Seimen will make his long-awaited Bundesliga debut against the club he helped promote last season. More significantly, Hoeneß confirmed on Thursday that the 20-year-old is returning as Stuttgart's clear No. 1 despite Fabian Bredlow's strong performances during his injury absence. The announcement brings Stuttgart back to the goalkeeping plan they originally formulated for this season.
Seimen's most recent 2. Bundesliga campaign cemented Stuttgart's decision to return long-term loanee Alexander Nübel back to Bayern Munich and hand Seimen the starting spot between the sticks.
Seimen logged maximum league minutes and played a significant role in Paderborn's promotion. When Get German Football News examined the newly-promoted side this summer , his return to Stuttgart ranked among the most significant losses from the promotion squad.
Stuttgart publicly committed themselves to the youngster in July, with Hoeneß stressing that the decision to entrust Seimen with Bundesliga and Champions League duties was made out of "absolute conviction".
Then came the injury. A serious thigh problem suffered during preseason ruled Seimen out through at least the end of September . Stuttgart briefly considered whether another goalkeeper might be required.
Fabian Bredlow made the question disappear.
There was never much doubt within Stuttgart's coaching and managerial circles that Bredlow could handle the assignment. This time, however, Bredlow was being asked to begin a season as the temporary starter. Deniz Undav immediately backed his teammate after Seimen's injury. "We need you. Go for it," Undav wrote to Bredlow as the club increasingly settled on an internal solution .
That decision worked. Bredlow performed well during preseason and carried the form into competitive action. His displays in Rostock, Munich and particularly the 4-1 league victory over Cologne enabled Hoeneß to reiterate just how much trust Stuttgart had always placed in their long-serving No. 2 .
Stuttgart's broader summer planning reflected much the same approach. As noted in our 2026/27 VfB Stuttgart tactical preview , the club resisted the temptation to panic-buy after losing its designated No. 1 during preparation. Bredlow justified the restraint.
Our more recent Stuttgart Bundesliga Tactics Check reached a rather simple conclusion after six competitive fixtures: Bredlow had done exactly what Stuttgart asked of him and even spurred a wider discussion. Seimen still could reclaim the gloves after the international break.
That is precisely what will now happen.
Hoeneß left no room for ambiguity on Thursday.
"Dennis Seimen is the No. 1 and went into the season as such," the Stuttgart trainer said at his pre-match press conference. "Nothing has changed in that regard. Fabi knows that he is the No. 2. I've said it several times: from my point of view, we have a sensational goalkeeping team."
"Fabi Bredlow did a great job," Hoeneß continued. "To be honest, that made the whole decision extremely easy for me because we were under no pressure to force anything."
Stuttgart instead allowed Seimen to complete his rehabilitation and testing before returning in last week's 5-0 friendly victory over Greuther Fürth.
There will still be opportunities for Bredlow. Hoeneß stressed that Seimen is entering his first Bundesliga campaign while simultaneously preparing for Champions League football. Stuttgart therefore intend to manage the youngster's workload and possess an experienced alternative they trust whenever rotation becomes necessary.
Hoeneß nevertheless rejected the suggestion that this amounted to a specific "job-sharing" arrangement. Seimen remains the clear No. 1, while Bredlow will continue to receive opportunities as Stuttgart manage the youngster's workload.
