“The last time Markus Babbel participated in the 1. Bundesliga he was in charge of VfB Stuttgart after a short stint there as a player following retirement. In November 2008 he replaced the outgoing Armin Veh. Veh had a poor first half of the season and left his side stranded in 11th place, closer to relegation than the top half they were accustomed to. Babbel came in and guided Stuttgart to a 3rd place finish and qualification for the Champions League after a quite remarkable Hinrunde. In fact, Stuttgart finished that season just 5 points behind champions Wolfsburg. It was a turnaround few expected.” Bundesliga Fanatic