Three clubs, three different messages about Europe. VfB Stuttgart are speaking about big ambitions, 1899 Hoffenheim are leaning on continuity, and Bayer Leverkusen still say they want to stay among the top four.
The contrast matters because the league table from 2025/26 gives each club a different starting point. Stuttgart finished fourth with 62 points from 34 matches, Hoffenheim finished fifth with 61, and Leverkusen ended sixth with 59.
Stuttgart's case is built on last season's base
Sebastian Hoeneß did not leave much room for caution. “We're going into a season in which we'll have big ambitions in the Champions League, the Bundesliga and the DFB Cup,” he said. Fabian Wohlgemuth was more measured, saying Stuttgart have done well not to make a public show of their objectives.
The football side gives Hoeneß something to point to. Stuttgart's league record was 18 wins, 8 draws and 8 defeats, with 71 goals scored and 49 conceded. Their recent five-match league run was mixed, but it still included a 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen and a 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt.
There is also a reminder that the European standards are not automatic. Stuttgart go into the new campaign after a 0-3 DFB Pokal loss at Bayern München, so the gap between ambition and execution is still there.
Hoffenheim and Leverkusen are selling different kinds of confidence
Christian Ilzer's message at Hoffenheim is steadier. “The past season has shown that we are on the right track and that with consistent work, we can achieve a great deal together. We want to continue on this successful path,” he said. Andreas Schicker backed that view, describing Ilzer as a coach who gives the team values and objectives the players embrace.
The summer, though, was not especially calm. Hoffenheim lost more than they added, with Grischa Prömel, Bazoumana Touré and Kevin Akpoguma all leaving and Nathan De Cat and Alessandro Vogt among the arrivals. They still took 10 points from their last five league matches, a run that included wins over Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund plus a 3-3 draw with Stuttgart.
Leverkusen sound the boldest, even if their recent numbers are less convincing. Simon Rolfes said: “Our aim is to always be among the top four in the league and to be in a position to win titles.” Yet their 2025/26 finish was sixth, and their recent league run was DLWWL, which is hardly the form of a side arriving with momentum to spare.
That is the real shape of this early European race. Stuttgart are pointing to a strong base, Hoffenheim are betting on continuity, and Leverkusen are trying to talk themselves back into the top-four conversation after a season that fell short of their own target.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
