Felix Magath might be the toughest coach in the Bundesliga but he does have a soft spot.

After whipping his VfB Stuttgart team into shape and turning them into the most exciting outfit the German game has seen for years, Magath said he did not mind his young lions having a good time.

"There are no regulations here when it comes to drinking and smoking," the former Germany midfielder said in an usual statement.

"I know that in your young days you can put up strong performances even if your lifestyle is not healthy. My recommendation would be that if they want to get drunk, they should not do it immediately after a match, when the body is weak and vulnerable."

Magath has been perceived not only as an uncompromising coach but also as a man reluctant to show his emotions.

Wrong again.

"This is one of the best days in my life as player and coach," Magath said after VfB Stuttgart recorded a brave 2-1 win over Manchester United in the Champions League earlier this month.

The 50-year-old Magath, who experienced plenty of highlights in his playing days and scored the winner in Hamburg SV's shock 1-0 win over Juventus in the 1983 European Cup final, looked visibly moved after his team outplayed their prestigious visitors.

UNBEATEN RUN

A 2-0 win over Panathinaikos followed, taking Stuttgart to the top of their group and suggesting they could make an impact in Europe after taking the Bundesliga by storm.

Many predicted they would collapse after finishing runners-up to Bayern Munich last season but they have kept up the standard, going 10 league matches without defeat this season.

After last term's surprise run, Magath said he wanted his team to dent Bayern's supremacy in the years to come and predicted they would have a shot at the title in 2005.

He might not have to wait that long.

The southerners are second, just one point behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen, after an impressive start and, with many of their players barely over the age of 20, they can still improve.

The current season is a true challenge for Stuttgart, who started it more than 15 million euros in debt.

There were rumours linking Magath with other clubs before he signed a new contract, having obtained guarantees that he could rely on the same team.

Some of Stuttgart's youngsters, notably defender Andreas Hinkel and striker Kevin Kuranyi, who both became German internationals last season, are being chased by top clubs and might eventually be sold.

ATTRACTIVE STYLE

But for the moment they remain, as does gifted Belarus midfielder Alexander Gleb, who took over the playmaking duties from Bulgarian Krassimir Balakov, now Magath's assistant.

The revenue from their Champions League participation has made Stuttgart's financial situation more comfortable.

The headlines they are winning for their attractive playing style, which has won them fans all over the country, make dealing with potential new sponsors a lot easier.

Ticket sales have soared. The club were expecting 29,000 spectators on average this season but the figure so far is 43,000 and their possible first home game in the knock-out stage of the Champions League is already sold out.

Time will tell whether Stuttgart, who won the last of their four German titles in 1992 and have not put their hands on any silverware since lifting the German Cup for the third time in 1997, can knock Bayern off the pinnacle of German football.

But former German international Karl-Heinz Foerster, who graced VfB Stuttgart in the late 1970s and early 1980s, can see that happening.

"A great team is growing here," he said.

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