A new phase in Timo Hildebrand’s life will begin in June. The 2006/7 season will draw to a close after the UEFA European Football Championships 2008™ qualifying matches in which Germany are due to meet San Marino in Nuremberg (2 June) and Slovakia in Hamburg (June 6). Almost one year after the FIFA World Cup™, Timo Hildebrand will leave for new pastures. After eleven years at the club, VfB Stuttgart will then become a thing of the past for the German international.

Hildebrand’s name will be forever associated with the “Verein für Bewegungsspiele” – a rough translation would be the “Club for Games of Motion” – whose home is on the River Neckar next to the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium. In the current playing season Hildebrand has once again showed just how valuable he is for the locals. Exceedingly successful and with far better results than expected, the team is again one of Germany’s elite group of clubs. “We can obviously become German Champions,” said Hildebrand in the days leading up to Easter. VfB had just ended a sticky patch of four league games without a win by defeating Alemannia Aachen 3-1. Coach Armin Veh’s team were lying in third place four points behind top of the table Schalke 04, two behind Werder Bremen but two in front of defending champions Bayern Munich, the big southern rivals.

A fifth title win for Stuttgart after 1950, 1952, 1984 and 1992 was still a realistic possibility at the time especially as the Bundesliga was in a state of turmoil after quite a few unexpected results. Neither Schalke nor Bremen were on a stable championship winning course. Hildebrand’s statement that winning the championship was still possible, was something that people simply could not ignore. In 1992 VfB sensationally grabbed the title from a similar position when favourites Dortmund and Frankfurt stumbled at the last moment. A league placing ensuring them a spot in the UEFA Champions League was Stuttgart’s basic target. That Stuttgart would end the season as runners-up or in third place was something hardly anybody, even those at VfB, could have envisaged in summer 2006. “We’ve got a young, very strong team that has a lot of potential,” said a confident Hildebrand after the first few matches. But the start was not easy as the new, young VfB team needed time to start firing on all cylinders. But then they stormed to the top with footballing cleverness, refined tactics and an attacking style of football propagated by Veh.

Taking a look at the situation on and around about 5 April – Timo Hildebrand’s 28th birthday – it seems VfB’s season may well not end on 21 May. Parallel to their upswing in the Bundesliga, Stuttgart have also reached the last four in the German cup. Following a convincing 4-1 away win in VfL Bochum, a 2-0 quarterfinal win against Hertha BSC Berlin ensured VfB a semifinal berth. A place in the final in Berlin on 28 May beckons should they travel to and beat VfL Wolfsburg. Stuttgart are seen as the favourites to win the cup not only by numerous VfB fans but also by the majority of the pundits. It would be their fourth win after 1954, 1958 and 1997. Nuremberg and Eintracht Frankfurt will face each other in the second semifinal. VfB had their difficulties against Nuremberg in the league when losing 3-0 at the start of the season and 4-1 in the return fixture. Nuremberg’s goalkeeper Raphael Schäfer will be Hildebrand’s successor at VfB.

The current VfB upswing can be attributed to a large extent to the goalkeeper, who moved Stuttgart from FV Hofheim/Ried in January 1996. Hildebrand gave the young team a sense of security as he has more than 200 Bundesliga appearances to his credit. Doubts expressed by sceptics in the difficult early phase of the season as to whether his skills were still of the highest class were duly seen to be totally unfounded. “That I had a slipped disc before the FIFA World Cup™ was of no interest to virtually everybody,” said Hildebrand. Along with central defenders Fernando Meira and Mathieu Delpierre he nevertheless still formed the bulwark at the back of the team, which received high praise for its refreshing attacking football. Mario Gomez and Roberto Hilbert successfully stepped up a grade to Germany’s first team, Serdar Tasci, Sami Khedira and Andreas Beck were picked for the new German U21 team. Many people see VfB as being able to compete at the very top, gain wins at the national level and to make their mark generally on the international stage over the new few years.

But without Timo Hildebrand – the top performer and rock solid No 1 of earlier times. Rejecting a new contract in winter the blond keeper has decided to leave the club. That he will on Valencia’s books, as the Spanish media reported before Germany’s international match in the Czech Republic, has gone unconfirmed by both Hildebrand and his advisors. A contract with Valencia, perhaps until 2011, would definitely mean a further major step in Hildebrand’s career. The top Spanish club almost always plays a leading role in the Spanish Championship and has been a part of the UEFA Champions League for years now.

“Clubs wanting to sign me want to do so without having to hurry. I have the luxury of making a decision without any hurry. It’ll take a little more time before my new club is known,” said Hildebrand when appearing in a sports programme televised by ZDF, a leading German television channel, in February. Leading English clubs also signalled their interest in signing the German goalkeeper. “My heart will continue to be with VfB,” promised Hildebrand, who once set a marvellous league record of going 802 minutes without conceding a goal. “I feel it’s normal to seek a new challenge,” he said when explaining the reasons behind a change after being the No 1 at VfB for seven years. The fact that the outstanding goalkeeper, who produced a world class performance in the 4-1 win against Bremen, wanted to re-orientate was also considered totally understandable by club coach Veh. “In professional football it’s normal when a player wants to move clubs.” Hildebrand would love to say farewell in front of Stuttgart’s palace in the centre of the city. “Two years ago I said I’d like to say goodbye holding a cup. We’ve still got two opportunities,” said the goalkeeper in February. At the start of April, he and VfB are still in with a chance of winning the championship race and/or the German cup competition.

In the German national team Hildebrand has to content himself with an understudy role. His two caps against Georgia (2-0) and in Cyprus (1-1) increased his tally of international appearances to five. Jens Lehmann remains the No 1 for the time being stressed Joachim Löw. At the same time the national coach made it clear that Timo Hildebrand plays an important role in his plans. “Timo has put in some excellent performances. VfB also have to thank him for their being at the top again,” said Löw, he himself a former Stuttgart coach. Löw denied any thoughts that Timo has lost his position as Lehmann’s deputy to Hanover’s Robert Enke. The competition for places has begun but Hildebrand remains a mainstay and can reckon on going to UEFA EURO 2008™ in Austira and Switzerland.