Hoeneß Expresses Surprise Over Stiller’s National Team Omission

In an interview with RTL, VfB Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeneß addressed the recent omission of midfielder Angelo Stiller from the German national team for the upcoming international break.

Julian Nagelsmann’s announcement of the squad for November excluded both Stiller and his teammate Maximilian Mittelstädt for the second consecutive break. Given Stiller’s status as one of the top German midfielders, many at Stuttgart, including Hoeneß, are perplexed by his absence at this critical juncture in the World Cup cycle.

Hoeneß remarked, “I don’t know why. We were very surprised. I can only speak for Angelo; he is a central player for us and a major factor in why we’re currently in fourth place in the Bundesliga. This combined circumstance has left us puzzled.”

When questioned about the implications of Stiller and Mittelstädt being overlooked by Nagelsmann, Hoeneß noted that in Stiller’s place, Leon Goretzka has been retained in the squad. Additionally, Aleksander Pavlovic, Felix Nmecha, and Nadiem Amiri join Joshua Kimmich as midfield options. Leroy Sané has also been recalled, despite an underwhelming performance in Turkey.

Stiller, after Stuttgart’s 2-0 victory over Feyenoord, declined to comment on his exclusion from the national team.

In contrast, Alexander Nübel, who did receive a call-up, stated, “The surprise was great throughout the entire team.”