Labbadia: Football is fantastic when you win

Stuttgart coach Bruno Labbadia thinks his side can be a match for anybody in the Bundesliga after they extended their unbeaten streak to four games with their first home win of the season yesterday. A 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt lifted Stuttgart up to eighth in the table and dispelled the gloom which had been accompanying them throughout the season. It also confirmed to Labbadia that he has a side who can make life difficult for anybody in the Bundesliga. "The difficult thing is that we always have to give it 100 per cent if we are to win games, but if we manage that, then we are very hard to beat," he said. "This victory was very good for morale given the huge effort involved, and the way we won it was great too. Football is fantastic when you win." It was only a month ago when Labbadia vented his anger at the critical way the media were reporting his side's poor start to the season. Even then, he said he was convinced in his side's ability, and yesterday's win confirmed that. "I know that my side is permanently pushing themselves to the edge and it is an absolute joy to watch," he said. "This time, we had that bit of luck that has been lacking in recent weeks." FIFA