Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel has vowed to fight on and lead the club away from the relegation zone in the Bundesliga.

This is after Sunday's 4-0 defeat at leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Babbel's position has been in serious doubt after that heavy defeat left the 2007 champions and current Champions League participants in 17th place in the table - a spot which would result in automatic relegation at the end of the season.

But Babbel affirmed his willingness to put things right after leading today's two-hour training session.

"We are all immensely disappointed about the Leverkusen game. The team let itself down in this game," he said.

Babbel usually spends Monday mornings in Cologne, where he must study for the first three days of the week for his coaching badge to enable him to continue in charge of Stuttgart.

He has already missed many lessons due to Stuttgart's poor form this season and is close to failing the course due to insufficient attendance, but he is prepared to run that risk rather than leave his team in the lurch.

"I am facing up to this situation and don't want to give the team an excuse that the coach was not here," he explained.

"I have decided not to attend the course this week. Everybody has got to recognise the severity of the situation."

Director of sport Horst Heldt certainly knows how bad things are and he has warned the players that their reputations are also on the line.

"We are playing absolutely pathetically. We are 17th in the league and trying to do back-heels and fancy touches," he said in an emotional outburst on Sky television.

"That is incredible; it's amateurish. What some of the players are doing, I have never seen before in such a situation.

"I expect the players to know that this is all about the club's existence and not their own existence.

"They would be in the mire too if the club were relegated, and if they carry on the way they are, then the club will be relegated.

"Then a lot of players will find themselves where they don't want to be seen ever - at the job centre."

Heldt kept his silence today, letting Babbel do the talking and unveil the plan of action.

"We have got to start getting the basics right again," he said. "We need to be prepared to run, to fight and to try and show will and passion.

"We are falling over with every minor gust of wind and we are obtaining catastrophic results.

"We need points as quickly as possible because the situation is getting harder and harder.

"It is not about Markus Babbel or the team, it's about the whole club."

Stuttgart face a date with destiny next Saturday when they host fellow strugglers Bochum at the Mercedes-Benz Arena knowing only a win will do, both for Babbel and the club.