Fabian Rieder almost scored against Heidenheim and put VfB on the road to victory. Instead, the Swabians lost 0-1. It was their sixth home defeat in a row. A goal would certainly have been good for his personal situation. The future of the player on loan from Stade Rennes is uncertain. Now he is talking openly about it for the first time.
This time, it’s the 63rd minute when Fabian Rieder runs up from around 20 meters to take one of his famous free kicks over the Heidenheim wall. And once again, he misses by inches. FCH keeper Kevin Müller tips the ball over the bar. “Too bad,” says the Swiss player, who is a little hard on himself. “I saw later on the video that the goalkeeper moved into the corner quite early.” And so he was able to reach the ball. A little better placement and the chance would have been greater ‘that it would have gone in. Still, I thought it was a good shot.’
Rieder’s favorite position does not exist in the VfB system
For Rieder, it would have been his second goal of the season in his 21st game. A highlight of his overall mixed season. The European Championship participant from the neighboring country had come to Stuttgart with high expectations and big ambitions. However, his big breakthrough never came. The quick, technically skilled, and powerful Swiss player always had to wait his turn. This was also because he was mainly used on the wing instead of in his preferred position in the center, or more precisely, in the attacking eight. This is a role that Stuttgart’s 4-2-3-1 formation does not allow. On top of that, the competition on the wings is strong with Jamie Leweling and Chris Führich.
“At the end of the day, I play where the coach puts me,” says the national team player, sidestepping the question about his position. For the most part. ‘I’ve never played as far out wide as I am now at VfB. Nevertheless, I think I’m getting better from game to game. I believe I’m making progress. I can build on that.’
He still has three Bundesliga games and the cup final to prove himself for a future in Stuttgart. The Rennes forward’s loan spell ends in the summer. The option to buy him for around €14 million does not seem likely at the moment. In the summer, he had spoken openly about his long-term commitment to VfB. Now he is more cautious. “For me, it’s very clear: I’m committed to VfB, I have a contract. At least until the cup final. Until then, I’ll just give everything for the team, for the squad, for the whole club. I’ve really taken VfB to my heart.”
He can’t and won’t speculate on what happens after that. ”I’m not the right person to answer that question. It’s not a request show. All I can say is that I feel at home here. All I can think about is the performance I want to deliver on the pitch,” said Rieder, who has been linked with Borussia Mönchengladbach and is known to be wanted by FC Augsburg. ‘The decision will be made after the cup final. I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Until then, I’m fully focused on VfB.’
