Stuttgart is a progressive city with global brands like Mercedes or Porsche among others. The Swabians are very industrious. The common denominator for most Swabians is VfB Stuttgart. A team with tradition and history. Unfortunately, Stuttgart remain embroiled in a power struggle.
Thomas Hitzlsperger versus Claus Vogt
The power struggle is between sports director, Thomas Hitzlsperger, against president, Claus Vogt. The key issues are differences in interpretation of how to administer the club and transparency.
Hitzlsperger in an open letter addressed to the fans and club members criticized Vogt for lack of drive towards goals they agree upon.
Hitzlsperger maligned the president and his supporters for acting against the interest of the club, especially in the “privacy affair”.
The privacy affair is about allegations that Stuttgart officials shared members’ data to third parties. An external firm, Esecon was ordered by the president to investigate the scandal.
He wrote, “Claus Vogt ordered without an invitation to tender, a cost estimate, a project plan.and failed to exercise the care, competence and coordination in project management. The uncontrollably escalating costs led to the corporation having to support the association in order to prevent it from becoming insolvent.”
Vogt reacted to the attack from Hitzlsperger, “several attempts were made to torpedo the work of the law firm Esecon, One can come to the impression that there are people/persons in and around the VfB who do not want this clarification.
Hitzlsperger apologized later for his choice of words, but the atmosphere remains charged. There is a rift in the club. They force Stuttgart fans and officials to choose Hitzlsperger’s or Vogt’s camp.
The contest for the presidency
They will elect the next president of Stuttgart in March. Hitzlsperger is among the contestants to unseat Vogt. The club advisory board will nominate two contestants to vie against each other.
Hitzlsperger is taking a risk for the presidency. What happens if he fails? The result could be disruptive for Stuttgart’s strategic plans.
Stuttgart needs togetherness
Stuttgart needs a congenial atmosphere for officials, and members to co-exist side by side. First, the privacy affair needs resolving. Esecon will release the report in February.
The power struggle is a war of egos. Hopefully, who wins the contest in March will get to work on building Stuttgart’s presence in the Bundesliga.
[…] fined 300,000€ for the privacy scandal. The data protection officer of the state of Baden-Württemberg, Stefan Brink, justified the fine […]