Stuttgart's season is under real pressure. The club sits 15th in the Bundesliga with only three points from four matches, and the results tell a difficult story: a 1-2 defeat at Hoffenheim is the most recent setback, compounding an already fragile start that included a 1-5 hammering by Bayern Munich. The Champions League has offered some relief, with a 3-1 win over Viking FK, but domestic form remains the primary concern.

Off the pitch, the club faces a structural challenge that could reshape the squad entirely. According to kicker's report, eight players including Angelo Stiller, Chris Führich, Maximilian Mittelstädt and Ermedin Demirovic all have contracts expiring in 2028, and extending all of them would, in the club's own assessment, blow the budget. With personnel costs rising from 105 million to 163 million euros over three years, sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth faces difficult decisions. The club plans to monitor performances before opening talks, with only defender Ramon Hendriks earmarked for earlier contract discussions.

Meanwhile, 25-million-euro summer signing Dzenan Pejcinovic has gone quiet in front of goal after a promising debut hat-trick in the DFB-Pokal, admitting to kicker that his Bundesliga form has not been good enough to earn a Germany call-up. Stuttgart travel to Paderborn on 10 October looking to arrest a slide before a demanding run of fixtures in both the Bundesliga and Champions League.