Hoeness brushes off Real Madrid speculation ahead of German Cup semi

Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness gestures from the touchline during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena. Tom Weller/dpa

VfB Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness has played down speculation about an approach from Real Madrid ahead of the sold-out German Cup semi-final at home to Freiburg on Thursday.

"It doesn't interest me much at all right now," Hoeness told a news conference on Wednesday, adding he was focused on the final phase of the season as they look to retain the Cup and grab a Champions League berth via the Bundesliga.

"Same procedure as every year, I would say. I think we've had these topics every now and then in the final stretch and I think the answers were always relatively clear. I didn't let any doubts arise."

German magazine Sport Bild has reported that Hoeness was being discussed at Madrid as part of a search to replace coach Álvaro Arbeloa.

There is also speculation Pep Guardiola might leave Manchester City and Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany would be tempted back to the Premier League.

Hoeness, a former coach of Bayern's reserve team, would be an obvious candidate at the Allianz Arena if a vacancy arises given his successes with Stuttgart, which includes a Bundesliga second place in 2024.

His father Dieter and uncle Uli played for Bayern and he was linked with the job before Kompany was appointed two years ago.