Philipp Lahm
The right-back is one of FC Bayern Munich's most recognized figures. With the Munich side, Lahm won eight German championships, six German Cups, and the Champions League in 2012/13, among other titles.
However, at the beginning of his career, Lahm was loaned to Stuttgart for two years. Between 2003 and 2005, the later World Cup-winning captain made 71 appearances for the Swabians.
Mario Gomez
The prolific striker is one of the few who became champions with both Stuttgart and Bayern. In the 2006/07 season, Gomez led Stuttgart to the title with 14 goals and seven assists. In 2009, the striker moved to Bayern for 30 million euros.
With Bayern, he won the double in 2009/10 and the treble in 2012/13. In the 2010/11 season, Gomez became the top scorer with 28 goals. In total, he recorded 170 goals in 328 Bundesliga matches.
Giovane Élber
The Brazilian striker moved from AC Milan to VfB Stuttgart in 1994. For the Swabians, he recorded 71 goal contributions in 98 games and won the DFB-Pokal with Stuttgart in 1996/97.
Bayern then brought him to Munich for 6.5 million euros. There, Élber celebrated four German championships and three DFB-Pokal victories. In the 2002/03 season, he became the Bundesliga top scorer with 21 goals. Furthermore, the Brazilian had a significant share in the 2000/01 Champions League triumph with six goals in the "premier class".
Jürgen Klinsmann
The 1990 World Cup winner and 1996 European Champion played for VfB Stuttgart from 1984 to 1989. In 186 games, the goalscorer netted 94 times. In the 1987/88 season, he became the Bundesliga top scorer with 19 goals. However, he did not win a title with the Swabians.
In 1995, Klinsmann — in the late stage of his career — moved from Tottenham to Bayern. In his two seasons in Munich, Klinsmann won one German championship and the UEFA Cup in 1995/96. He scored 48 goals in 84 games for the German record champions.
Benjamin Pavard
The French defender was brought to Stuttgart from LOSC Lille for five million euros in the summer of 2016. In his very first season, Pavard helped the Swabians win the 2. Bundesliga title.
In 2018, Pavard became a World Champion with France and played the full 90 minutes in six of seven matches. In the round of 16 against Argentina, the right-back scored the goal of the tournament.
A year later, Bayern struck, bringing the Frenchman to Munich for 35 million euros. Until Nick Woltemade's transfer in summer 2025, Pavard was also Stuttgart's record departure. With Bayern, he won ten titles, including the Champions League in 2019/20.
Angelo Stiller
Angelo Stiller was developed at FC Bayern Munich and made three brief appearances in the Champions League and DFB-Pokal in the 2020/21 season. Via Hoffenheim, the defensive midfielder eventually joined VfB in 2023.
At Stuttgart, the 25-year-old has been a central figure in the midfield for years and also played his way into the German national team. In 2024/25, Stiller won the DFB-Pokal with Stuttgart.
Markus Babbel
The center-back went through the entire Bayern youth system and made his debut for the record champions in 1991. Apart from a two-year loan spell at HSV, Babbel played for the Munich side until 2000. During this time, he won three German championships, two German Cups, and the UEFA Cup in 1995/96.
In 1996, he was also an important part of Germany's European Championship-winning team. At the end of his career, Babbel moved from Liverpool to Stuttgart. He then ended his active career by winning the championship title with Stuttgart in the 2006/07 season.
Holger Badstuber
Badstuber was developed by Bayern and played for the first team of the Munich side from 2009 to 2016. Initially a regular starter at center-back, injuries gradually relegated him to a substitute behind greats like Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, or Dante.
His coach at the time, Pep Guardiola, particularly regretted this. The Spaniard called Badstuber "the best center-back" he had ever coached.
Badstuber won eleven titles with Bayern, including the Champions League in 2012/13 under Jupp Heynckes.
In 2017, after a loan season at Schalke, the center-back moved to VfB Stuttgart. After two years in the Bundesliga, he was relegated to the 2. Bundesliga with the Swabians.
Hiroki Ito
Hiroki Ito joined VfB Stuttgart from Júbilo Iwata for 400,000 euros in the summer of 2021. He played three seasons for the Swabians; in 2022/23, the center-back saved Stuttgart from relegation in the play-offs.
FC Bayern then acquired him for over 23 million euros in 2024. However, due to injuries, the Japanese player never progressed beyond a substitute role there. Nevertheless, Ito has so far amassed two championship titles and one cup victory.
Frans Krätzig
The current Salzburg left-back and former Austria Vienna player was developed at Bayern. Before his loan to Austria Vienna in 2023/24, Krätzig made seven brief appearances for FC Bayern.
After a successful year in Vienna, the left-back was loaned to VfB Stuttgart at the beginning of the 2024 first half of the season.
However, Krätzig only made three brief appearances for the Swabians. He then spent the second half of the season on loan at 1. FC Heidenheim. There he showed good performances, which led to Salzburg signing him permanently for 3.5 million euros in 2025.
Dieter Hoeneß
The center-forward spent his entire career exclusively at Stuttgart and Bayern. In 1976/77, Hoeneß led Stuttgart to the 1. German Bundesliga with 13 goals in 23 games. The striker had his breakthrough when he scored 16 goals for the Swabians in the 1978/79 season.
In the following season, Bayern signed the then 26-year-old for 90,000 euros. With Bayern, Hoeneß won the championship five times, the DFB-Pokal three times, and was top scorer in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1981/82.
Sven Ulreich
The goalkeeper was developed at VfB Stuttgart and played six seasons for the Swabians' professional team. He did not win any titles with VfB.
In 2015, Bayern signed Ulreich as the second goalkeeper behind Manuel Neuer. Since then, with the exception of one year at HSV, he has played exclusively in Munich. Whenever Neuer was out, Ulreich was a reliable backup for the record champions.
With Bayern, he amassed an incredible 22 titles - including ten league titles and a Champions League victory.
Alexander Nübel
The goalkeeper moved to Bayern in the summer of 2019 after two strong seasons as Schalke 04's goalkeeper. However, Nübel only made four appearances in two years there.
Dissatisfied with his playing time, he left the record champions in 2021 for a two-year loan spell with Monaco.
In 2023, Nübel was loaned to Stuttgart. The loan lasted three years. During this time, Nübel became a DFB-Pokal winner as the regular goalkeeper and reached the Champions League. However, during his absence in Munich, Jonas Urbig took over his position as Neuer's successor.
Due to a lack of prospects at the record champions, the Munich side sold Nübel to Besiktas Istanbul for 6.25 million euros in the summer of 2026.
Thomas Berthold
The 1990 World Cup winner moved from AS Roma to Bayern in 1991/92. There, the center-back played a central role for the Munich side for one season. In the second season, however, Berthold did not make a single appearance for the record champions and also won no titles.
In the 1993/94 season, Berthold then moved to VfB. There he won the DFB-Pokal once. He ultimately played eight seasons in Stuttgart before the center-back ended his career at Adanaspor in the Süper Lig.
Thomas Strunz
The defensive midfielder was brought to Säbener Straße from MSV Duisburg in 1989. He played three seasons for Bayern, celebrating the championship title in his very first season.
In the summer of 1992, Stuttgart snapped up the midfield strategist. With the Swabians, Strunz won the Supercup in 1992/93. VfB then sold him back to Munich two years later for 2.5 million euros.
There, Strunz began collecting titles. In six years with Bayern, the 1996 European Champion won the DFB-Pokal twice, the Bundesliga four times, the League Cup three times, the UEFA Cup in 1995/96, and the Champions League in 2000/01.