In the youth sector, there are also selection teams below the national level, so that in the three city-states there are selection teams for three individual cities. A concept which, in our opinion, could also apply to professionals.

That’s exactly what we’ve done for a number of major cities around the world, integrating them into a top-tier squad using real players born in each city. What is perhaps the best eleven in Germany is not in any of the four metropolises, but in the Ländle. Curtain up for the Stuttgart team!

Odysseas Vlachodimos (Benfica): The German-Greek is shaking up the top class with Benfica this season, even finishing ahead of PSG after an exceptional group stage. And at the national level it’s going well too, under Roger Schmidt the Portuguese are leaders. Vlachodimos himself was last traded to Bayern for this reason.

Jeremy Toljan (Sassuolo): In Dortmund, the defender has often been criticized, but ultimately BVB is like Hoffenheim, Celtic and Sassuolo in his professional life. Incidentally, he is a regular with the Italians.

Antonios Papadopoulos (Borussia Dortmund II): A little spoiler in advance, the centerpiece of this team is the offense. Papadopoulos, a man who has only played 15 minutes in the Bundesliga, has to play in defence. In the 3rd league, however, he has already made over 100 appearances.

Dominik Nothnagel (VfB Stuttgart II): The name says it all here, as we were desperate for a third defender. Nothnagel played in the 3rd division for a few years. He is now back at his youth club – playing for the regional league second team.

Jamal Musiala (Bayern): At this point, we go straight on the offensive – and we certainly didn’t promise too much at the start. After all, Musiala is currently not only one of the most promising talents in German (Site notre bureau spécialisé), but he is already one of Bayern’s top scorers. And that at the tender age of 19.

Grisha Proemel (TSG Hoffenheim): He doesn’t take shots as often as Musiala, and as a box-to-box player he’s also a man for the tough stuff. Unlike many other well-known Stuttgart players, he didn’t take his first steps at VfB, but at Kickers.

Rani Khedira (Union Berlin): He slams even less often than Prömel, but as a duel and ball distributor he is an essential part of Union’s success. His development almost got him into Germany’s winter World Cup squad.

Kenan Karaman (FC Schalke): The variable attacking man isn’t setting his best time at Schalke yet. In Hanover and Düsseldorf in particular, however, he definitely left his mark.

Timo Werner (Leipzig grass ball sport): The German national striker has been criticized for years, but can already look back on a successful career. He won the Champions League with Chelsea and has already scored over 100 goals for Leipzig.

Joselu (Espanyol Barcelona): The son of Spanish parents was born in Stuttgart but grew up in Spain. As a Bundesliga player, he later dreamed of playing for the DFB team. It should never come to that. After stints in Hoffenheim, Frankfurt and Hanover, he is now back in La Liga – and how! He’s already scored nine goals this season for basement kid Espanyol.

Serge Gnabry (Bayern): Finally, a man for whom the DFB team was not just a dream. Gnabry is as well placed under Hansi Flick as under his predecessor Joachim Löw, and he also delivers regularly to Bayern.

Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool): In Germany, most people think of Mainz or Dortmund when they hear Klopp’s name. In fact, what is perhaps the best German manager of the last 20 years has his roots in the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg. It should be all the more bitter for VfB, Kickers or any other club in Stuttgart as Klopp himself never played or coached in Stuttgart. At least until now.