VfB Stuttgart have firmly established themselves among Germany's leading clubs under Sebastian Hoeneß, and the challenge is now to stay there.
After winning the DFB-Pokal in 2025, VfB took another step last season by finishing fourth in the Bundesliga with 62 points and securing a return to the Champions League.
They also reached a second consecutive Pokal final, although Bayern Munich proved too strong in Berlin, with a Harry Kane hat-trick sealing a 3-0 victory for the Bavarians.
VfB head into the 2026/27 term fighting on three fronts once again, but with a deeper and more prepared squad than the one that showed up in the Champions League two years ago.
Their Bundesliga campaign could hardly begin with a bigger test, as Die Schwaben travel to champions Bayern Munich on Friday.
Stuttgart enjoyed a productive summer, particularly in front of goal.
Hoeneß's side began with three emphatic victories against lower-league opposition, beating TSG Balingen 7-0, FSV Hollenbach 5-0 and Kickers Offenbach 8-1.
Die Schwaben then drew 2-2 with Paris FC as the level of opposition increased, before following it up with an impressive 3-1 victory over Everton in the season-opener at MHPArena.
Nikolas Nartey , Ramon Hendriks and Badredine Bouanani were on the scoresheet on the day, before Stuttgart finished their preparations with two games against Fulham on the same day in London.
A VfB side won a behind-closed-doors meeting 2-0 before Hoeneß's team suffered a 1-0 defeat at Craven Cottage later that afternoon.
Then, to open their competitive campaign, they cruised to a 4-0 DFB-Pokal victory away at Hansa Rostock on Friday, with new signing Dženan Pejčinović producing a remarkable competitive debut.
The 21-year-old scored three times, with Tiago Tomás adding the other goal, immediately giving Hoeneß another major option in an already crowded attacking department.
However, there was one significant negative from the night. Nartey suffered a muscle injury in the back of his thigh after just nine minutes and is expected to miss the opening weeks of the Bundesliga season.
Throughout the summer, VfB have been adding valuable depth to a European-level side.
German Under-21 international Pejčinović has arrived with a point to prove, and could hardly have made a better first impression than his treble in Rostock.
Leo Sauer is another long-term addition, with the 20-year-old Slovak international arriving from Feyenoord.
Grischa Prömel adds experience after arriving from Hoffenheim .
Born in Cannstatt and raised in nearby Esslingen, the 31-year-old has signed a three-year deal and is expected to take the place of Atakan Karazor in midfield.
Finally, Bilal El Khannouss ' loan from Leicester was converted into a permanent transfer.
In terms of outgoings, the biggest change comes in goal, with Alexander Nübel returning to Bayern Munich after his hugely successful three-year loan spell, during which he made over 100 appearances for Stuttgart.
Academy graduate Dennis Seimen will succeed him, though the 20-year-old will have to wait until at least the end of September, after suffering a thigh injury during pre-season.
Jovan Milosevic has joined Braga permanently, while Pascal Stenzel left following the expiry of his deal.
Laurin Ulrich has joined newly promoted Paderborn on loan, while Yannik Keitel and Noah Darvich have also left temporarily.
Galatasaray have shown interest in both Ermedin Demirović and El Khannouss, although VfB have so far been unwilling to accept the offers.
4-2-3-1: Bredlow - Vagnoman, Jeltsch, Chabot , Mittelstädt - Stiller, Prömel -Leweling, Undav , Führich - Pejčinović
Bredlow will begin the campaign in goal due to Seimen's injury, but the long-term plan remains for the highly-rated 20-year-old to take over as Stuttgart's number one once fit.
Nartey's injury should open the door for Josha Vagnoman at right-back in the short term. At the same time, Finn Jeltsch and Jeff Chabot look the strongest central defensive pairing available heading into the opener.
The real competition comes further forward.
Jamie Leweling , Chris Führich, Tiago Tomás, Badredine Bouanani, El Khannouss and eventually Sauer give Hoeneß considerable choice around Deniz Undav, while Stuttgart's options at centre-forward are arguably even stronger.
Demirović scored 12 Bundesliga goals from only 17 starts last season, while Undav finished the campaign with 25 goals across all competitions.
Pejčinović's arrival adds another dimension entirely.
It would have been difficult to put the former Wolfsburg striker ahead of Demirović before the opening competitive game. Still, three goals in Rostock have provided Hoeneß with an immediate selection dilemma ahead of the trip to Munich.
Expectations in Bad Cannstatt have changed dramatically over the past three years.
Simply remaining in the Bundesliga is now a distant objective for a club that has finished second and fourth in two of the past three seasons, won a DFB-Pokal and reached another cup final under Hoeneß.
Another Champions League qualification should therefore be the target.
That will not be straightforward. Bayern remain clear favourites for the title, Borussia Dortmund finished well clear of Stuttgart last season and RB Leipzig also ended the campaign above them, while Hoffenheim, Bayer Leverkusen and others will expect to challenge for the European positions.
Nevertheless, little suggests Stuttgart's recent success has reached its natural conclusion.
Stiller, Mittelstädt, Undav, Leweling, Führich and Chabot provide an established core, while Jeltsch, El Khannouss, Pejčinović and Sauer give the squad considerable upside.
This is the deepest Stuttgart squad of the Hoeneß era; thus, the expectations will be to finish in the top four.
A title challenge would still be asking a lot, but if VfB can manage the additional demands of the Champions League, and potentially even cause a problem in the knockouts, there is every reason to believe they can continue to establish themselves among the Bundesliga's best.
