VfB Stuttgart vs Hamburger preview - Labbadia set for basement battle

Posted Saturday, May 16, 2015 by PA

Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia travels to face his former club Stuttgart this weekend in arguably one of the most important matches of his coaching career.

Just two points separate the two teams with Stuttgart at the foot of the table and Hamburg just a point above the relegation zone.

Both sides have such a long tradition in the German top flight with seven Bundesliga titles between them, while Hamburg are the one and only side never to have once been relegated from Germany's top flight in their history.

The chances are that fate will befall the loser of Saturday's clash, which is why the stakes are so high at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

"I really hate relegation battles," admitted Labbadia. "But even when it's not easy in our situation, you've also got to be able to enjoy yourself."

Stuttgart coach Huub Stevens said the very same thing at his pre-match press conference, although it did not look like he was enjoying himself too much earlier.

In full view of the media and a large presence of fans, Stevens reprimanded his team at the top of his voice.

"You're all monkeys," he screamed. "A bunch of monkeys. We're in a relegation fight."

When asked about the incident afterwards, the Dutchman merely played it down, saying it "was nothing".

"When your team is not being successful, then you've got to support them," he explained. "When you are being successful, then you've got to keep their feet on the ground.

"That's very important."

Whether Stevens' motivational works will have the desired effect will be seen in front of a sell-out crowd of over 50,000 on Saturday.

If he chose the wrong words, it could well cost Stuttgart their place in the top flight, whereas the response he hopes to receive would see them move off the foot of the table with one game of the season to go - at Paderborn on the final weekend of the season.