After the disappointing 2-0 defeat in the Turkish metropolis, the Swabians' goalkeeper said it had been difficult to talk in Rams Park "because the noise level is unfamiliar, especially with the whistles". He added: "I don't know whether all of them were made by people. Especially when there was singing and whistles suddenly started, I thought: something isn't right here."
Almost every Stuttgart touch of the ball drew a shrill chorus of whistles, causing confusion. "It was loud. Especially at the start, it was very, very loud," Bredlow explained. "At times during the match, you did actually block it out a bit. To be honest, I didn't perceive it as quite so incredibly loud any more." In any case, he could "still hear well".
For board member for sport Fabian Wohlgemuth, the noise was manageable. "Well, I didn't have to cover my ears," he said, adding: "I think it was more of a motivation for all of us to be able to play in that atmosphere, and we all coped with it and endured it and are still healthy."
Captain Deniz Undav, meanwhile, sounded almost irritated by Bredlow's suspicion: "I couldn't care less. I'm proud that we stood our ground here." Ermedin Demirovic, by contrast, was astonished by the noise. "I've never experienced support like that," he said.
VfB Stuttgart face backlash from Galatasaray fans
Even before the game, the crowd at Gala's stadium, which is always loud in other matches too, had caused controversy. Stuttgart had posted a picture of a speaker system in the stadium on social media, alongside three thinking emojis. Supposedly as a joke, the post suggested the whistles were artificially generated. Some supporters of the Istanbul giants took it that way and vented their anger in the comments.
VfB deleted the post shortly afterwards and apologised publicly. "Dear Gala community, we did not intend to hurt anyone with the post we shared from your stadium. If that happened, we apologise. We are grateful for your hospitality in Istanbul and the good cooperation between our clubs. Here's to a fair and thrilling match in your magnificent stadium," wrote the Bundesliga club.
In response, Galatasaray accepted the apology. "Thank you! We look forward to welcoming you to our stadium, with one of the best football atmospheres in the world. Here's to a great match!" said a post from the club's official account. Nevertheless, numerous angry Lions supporters gathered in the comments beneath VfB's admission.
After victory: Galatasaray Istanbul take a swipe at VfB Stuttgart
After the final whistle, Gala took a swipe at VfB. The Turkish record champions published a video showing a speaker repeatedly playing the words "Auf Wiedersehen".
It was VfB's first defeat of this Champions League season. The Swabians collected seven points from their previous three matches and therefore still have an excellent chance of reaching the knockout stage.