German side VFB Stuttgart have appointed former Bayern Munich and Liverpool defender Markus Babbel as their new manager after parting ways with Armin Veh. Veh and his assistant Alfons Higl were shown the door after Stuttgart were soundly beaten 4-1 by Felix Magaath’s Wolfsburg on Saturday. Stuttgart lie in the bottom half of the Bundesliga table, and are currently thirteen points behind league leaders TSG Hoffenheim.
Rainer Widmayer has been appointed as Babbel’s assistant.
Babbel joined Stuttgart on a free transfer in July 2004, and played for the Swabians for two and a half years before hanging his boots in January 2007. He joined them in a managerial capacity in May 2007.
Babbel’s first game in charge of the side will be an European fixture against Sampdoria on Thursday.