Timo Baumgartl: I didn't leave Stuttgart because we were relegated
Timo Baumgartl claims he would have been looking to leave Stuttgart even if the club hadn't been relegated from the Bundesliga last season.
Timo Baumgartl claims his switch to PSV Eindhoven in the summer had nothing to do with the fact that VfB Stuttgart were relegated from the Bundesliga last season.
Speaking to Stuttgarter Nachrichten, the 23-year-old explains that he simply wanted a new challenge.
"The transfer didn't have anything to do with the league. I wanted to take the next step in my career and as a person. I would still have wanted to look for a new club if we had stayed in the Bundesliga," Baumgartl said and added:
"In PSV Eindhoven, I have found a good club, a renowned club in Europe that plays internationally, which is very important to me."
The German centre-back came through the youth ranks at Stuttgart and made 121 appearances for the club.