Stuttgart have appointed Alexander Zorniger as their new coach from next season with the Bundesliga club agreeing a three-year deal with the former RB Leipzig coach.
The club confirmed the appointment at a press conference on Monday, although Zorniger was not present in person, nor has he yet put pen to paper on the actual contract.
"But he has given me permission to announce his appointment," said director of sport Robin Dutt at the press conference. "And he has given us his word too.
"Alexander Zorniger is officially confirmed as our new coach. His personal ideas of the game are very close to the concept that what we can imagine here at Stuttgart.
Alexander Zorniger will be new Head Coach for #VfB in the coming season
- VfB Stuttgart_int (@VfB_int) May 25, 2015
"We need a coach who is not just coach of the first team, but the boss of all our youth squads too, and he can do that."
Zorniger takes the place of Huub Stevens, who leaves having fulfilled his mission in keeping the club in the Bundesliga for the second season running.
Before Stevens clears his desk and makes room for his successor, the Dutchman will meet with Zorniger.
"Huub is going to have a personal meeting with Alexander and hand things over next week," said Dutt.
"That is not so common in football, but we're really grateful to Huub for this gesture."
Zorniger previously led Sonnenhof Grossasbach to promotion to the third division in 2012 before taking over at Leipzig and guiding them from the fourth into the second division.
He stepped down from that role in February, but cannot now wait to get back into business in Stuttgart, where he previously worked as assistant coach to Markus Babbel in 2009.
"I am really looking forward to this challenge at Stuttgart and I am convinced that we can build something here together," he told the Bundesliga club's official website.
"It's something special to be head coach of this club, in my own home."