Angelo Stiller: The Diamond of the Bundesliga
Pillar of one of the best Stuttgart in years Angelo Stiller has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the major European Leagues, he had a very high level last season and it was a big deal to leave the club during the summer market but he decided to stay and enjoy the goals achieved with his current club of playing in the Champions League. This season has been for the Munich native to reinforce his role as an elite midfielder and on September 7, 2024 he already made his debut with the senior German team, proving that he is one of the best midfielders in the major European Leagues.
Stiller was trained in the Bayern Munich youth academy but like many young talents from the Bavarian youth academy he had to emigrate to other destinations. He signed for Hoffenheim where he had minutes but was not constant until last season when he was signed by Stuttgart where, under the guidance of Sebastian Hoeneß, he became one of the best young projects in German football, being key to his club’s historic second place only behind the historic Bayern Leverkusen and ahead of more worked projects such as Bayern Munich, Dortmund or Leipzig.
Replacing a 28-Goal Striker: Why Ermedin Demirović Perfectly Fits Stuttgart’s System
The 23-year-old German is a pivot with a lot of category and vision of the game, good at recovery and important in creating offensive plays; In Germany many see characteristics of his game very similar to Toni Kroos, in other words. His numbers based on popular statistics do not do justice to his quality and importance of the game being the backbone of his team.
“I loved to play with players like [Stiller] who had the ball glued to their feet and always found solutions,” stated ex-German international Andreas Beck.
“They’re undervalued players who might not stand out or seem too slow, but those are the gems you have to pick. Hoeneß worked with him at Bayern’s reserves and Hoffenheim, and when everyone was asking ‘Why are you buying him,’ he said, ‘That’s my player, I need him, I know what I’m going to get from him. They made an amazing choice getting him,” added Beck.
Stiller’s main characteristic is his reading to win ground duels very comfortably and cleanly, he is always at the right moment to cut off a dangerous play and is very reminiscent of N’Golo Kanté in this section; But it is not only the recovery but also his ability to, from the recovery of the game, rearm his team for a counterattack or generate advantages, that in this era where every day football requires the pivots not only to destroy but also to build, it becomes a crack destiny to play in candidates for the champions sooner rather than later.
Last season Angelo Stiller had impressive statistics in the Bundesliga: he recovered 6.2 balls per game, won 3.3 ground duels per game and 1 aerial duel won per game, committed 1 foul per game and only obtained 5 yellow cards in the entire Bundesliga, impressive numbers for a very offensive league with a fairly fast game, on offense he contributed 5 assists and highlights his long pass with an average of 2.6 per game and above all how much he passes the game on his feet with almost 94.6 touches per game last season.
If we compare some of his statistics with players with similar characteristics or the same position, we value more of the level shown by the young German talent. Joshua Kimmich, for example, last season in the Bundesliga, recovered 5 balls per game, won 2.8 ground duels and barely surpassed him in long passes with 3.3 per game; although comparisons are odious.
This season Stiller’s numbers are not so far from his first great season in the elite: 4.7 balls recovered per game, 3.7 ground duels won, 3.5 long passes per game and he commits only 0.7 fouls per game, something impressive seeing that Stuttgart is not being as powerful as last season and is in the middle of the Bundesliga table.
Sebastian Hoeneß is usually a coach like many tactical variables within games and we usually see systems like 3-2-5 or 4-2-4 depending on the game situations but we always find Stiller as that key connecting piece between defense and attack, being the first defensive block and also the first creative of the team where he is usually always accompanied by the Turkish Atakan Karazor as a faithful companion in the double pivot.
Stiller’s last season in the elite was one of emergence, the German footballer emerged as a new jewel of the German midfield and a demonstration of the importance of the art of defending, this season is one of consecration. His team is not having a season with the numbers of the previous one but he is scoring in the game, being the best under-23 midfielder in the 5 major leagues and a clear demonstration that he is a player project ready to lead the core of a great project.
Which system works best for you? Angelo is ideal for a team whose game is based on possession. He is the cornerstone to build a solid defense but also an important resource to always move the game with his progressive passes, although his numbers in terms of assists are not impressive, his capacity invites us to think that these numbers will soon increase, in addition to whoever accompanies him up top can take more advantage of his passes.
We are facing a modern midfielder, with a high capacity to contribute to his team’s defensive game from recovery, the vision to reduce dangerous options but also a midfielder who dictates the offensive rhythm, creative, intelligent and with high precision in his passes, ready to lead great projects such as Liverpool, City, Madrid or Barcelona.
His connection with Barcelona was not random. Flick studied him well and also knows that he is a key piece for the current Barcelona. A hypothetical departure for Kimmich would not be strange to think of a return to Munich or clubs like City (mainly due to Rodri’s absence and the severity of his injury) urgently need his services.
For a player like Stiller, in Italy a project like Milan needs a player of his level, although each game his cost increases and greatly reduces his potential buyers. We will see if this 2025, he ends up taking the leap. But for now, let’s continue enjoying another of the great gems of German football.
By: Brian Guevara / @Brianguevarag
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / DeFodi Images