Hoeneß compares his emotional world with the course of the game: "Quite strange"

Sebastian Hoeneß raised the trophy to the fans. IMAGO/Revierfoto

When Sebastian Hoeneß took over VfB Stuttgart in April 2023, even the most optimistic fans probably wouldn't have expected him to satisfy the club's desire for a title. Yet, just over two years later, he did just that: On Saturday, the 43-year-old raised the DFB Cup to the Berlin night sky after the 4-2 win against Bielefeld . "We've made history," Hoeneß said on ZDF's microphone, adding: "Two years ago, it was still a long way off to associate VfB with a title."

In the final, fans were able to prepare for the title celebration early on. After just 28 minutes, Stuttgart were leading 3-0 – no team had ever scored three goals that quickly in a DFB Cup final. But in the closing stages, after two goals from Bielefeld, the VfB coach, at least, no longer felt so confident. He was "already sweating," revealed Hoeneß.

Overall, he described the victory, which also meant qualification for the Europa League, as "quite strange" given the various phases. "We were lucky not to fall behind, and then we completely took control of the game. In the second half, we had the chance to seal the deal. We thought we were through – and then suddenly it opened up again. That's exactly how I feel inside right now," Hoeneß explained.

In fact, there is quite a lot of emptiness there right now.

Accordingly, he couldn't quite grasp VfB's fourth cup win after 1954, 1958, and 1997, and the first title since the 2007 championship. "Actually, there's quite a lot of emptiness right now," he explained. One feeling he did feel, however, was pride—among other things, for the development. VfB "now stands for a lot" and is "perceived positively."

He's probably not thinking about such holistic topics tonight. He didn't yet know where he and his team would be heading to celebrate, though he didn't care: "I'm generally up for anything today."