Austin (dpa / lsw) – Sports director Sven Mislintat is not planning a major reorganization of the squad during the winter break in order to stay up in the Bundesliga. “If everyone stays there, we’re good enough,” the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” and the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” quoted the 50-year-old after the 4-2 friendly in Austin against 1. FC Köln. “We have a clear belief that we have an extremely good group together,” Mislintat said. Little has to happen on the transfer market.
The prerequisite for this, however, is that no top performer like the Croatian national player Borna Sosa, who is repeatedly traded as a possible departure, leaves the club, which is threatened with relegation. “If there are interests for Borna and the club decides to give up a quality player, then that’s also a loss of quality,” said Mislintat. The aim is to “keep the boys together”.
VfB honorary president Erwin Staudt had previously criticized the squad put together by Mislintat. The team needs more “experience” in order to hopefully develop more “self-confidence”, Staudt told the dpa. The VfB winters on the relegation relegation rank.
In the friendly against Bundesliga rivals 1. FC Köln, the Stuttgart side had already led 4-0 at half-time in Austin, Texas. Defender Konstantinos Mavropanos (12th minute/41st) and offensive player Tanguy Coulibaly (28th/30th) each scored twice.
On Monday we will return to Germany with unanswered questions from the USA. It is unclear whether the contract with Mislintat, which is due to expire in the summer, will be extended and how interim coach Michael Wimmer will continue. Decisions should be made after the USA trip.
