VfB Stuttgart faced an unexpected delay following a 1-0 defeat away to Hamburger SV when team officials had to retrieve wandering players from the stadium corridors, BILD reported. While the squad waited aboard the vehicle bound for the airport, two reserve players remained inside the venue engaged in conversation with the opposition’s match-winner.

Locker Room Conversations Delay Stuttgart Departure

The post-match routine in Hamburg turned chaotic as team manager Günther Schäfer intervened directly before the team coach could leave the stadium grounds. When the vehicle was fully loaded and ready to roll toward the airport, defenders Luca Jaquez and Leonidas Stergiou were nowhere to be found among the traveling party.

The two Swiss reserves had lingered near the Hamburger SV dressing room area. They were deep in discussion with compatriot Miro Muheim, the 28-year-old defender who scored the decisive goal that secured the 1-0 victory for Hamburg.

Schäfer, a 64-year-old former national team player and two-time German champion serving as VfB team manager, walked back into the facility. He personally tracked down the two defenders and directed them out to the waiting coach.

El Khannouss Navigates Mixed Zone in Slippers

Jaquez and Stergiou were not the only Stuttgart team members who lingered after the final whistle. Playmaker Bilal El Khannouss spent extended minutes catching up with Hamburg newcomer Zakaria El Ouahdi.

The two players share history from their time together at Belgian club KRC Genk. El Khannouss appeared in such a rush to greet his former teammate that he bypassed the usual post-match routines entirely, walking through the mixed zone wearing only his team jersey and a pair of rubber slides.

Meanwhile, Hamburg’s match-winner Muheim proved to be a popular figure long after the referee blew for full-time, drawing conversations from opponents and home supporters alike.

Quick Turnaround Ahead in Europe

Stuttgart has minimal time to process the weekend result in the Bundesliga before returning to competitive action. The squad travels back to face a rapid fixture shift with the upcoming UEFA Champions League home match against Atlético Madrid scheduled for Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. local time on Prime Video.

Stuttgarter striker Ermedin Demirovic addressed the tight schedule immediately following the weekend disappointment. “We have to write this game off quickly, even if that will surely take another day or two,” Demirovic said. “In three days we have to refocus on the next match because things come thick and fast.”