Gross handed Stuttgart role

Stuttgart have appointed former Tottenham manager Christian Gross as their new coach after dismissing Markus Babbel.

Babbel and his coaching team were relieved of their duties 24 hours after Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Bochum, which left the club languishing in the bottom three of the Bundesliga.

Gross, who has been out of work since leaving Basel in the summer, was presented as the club's new coach only hours after Babbel had left the club's training ground, said his goodbyes to the players and given his successor his full backing.