Stuttgart reject Bayern

Stuttgart won the Bundesliga title last season for the first time in 15 years on a shoe string budget while big spenders Bayern endured their most difficult campaign for years, ending up with no silverware.

Bayern's response has been to invest further in players, with general manager Uli Hoeness claiming earlier in the summer the Bavarian club was going to "spend like never before".

Hoeness has been good to his word and the arrivals of Luca Toni, Miroslav Klose, Franck Ribery, Marcell Jansen and Hamit Altintop have gone a long way to reinforce Bayern's already star-studded squad.

But Stuttgart general manager Horst Heldt does not believe his club would benefit from such an approach, preferring to take Werder's faith in youth as an example of how to develop a team.

Heldt said: "We see ourselves as a club which has a niche. We want to orient ourselves with Werder Bremen.

"Bremen has had a good personnel policy over the years and they have created a solid foundation at the club. The way Werder act is exemplary.

"We will never be Bayern Munich. We will not change our philosophy as to do it their way does not give opportunities to young players."