Former VfB Stuttgart and Germany defender Serdar Tasci is happy that the club is on course to qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in many years but also warned of the extra strain the elite event will provide.
"The triple load won't be easy, you saw that at Union," Tasci told dpa.
He was referring to Union Berlin who finished fourth last season in the Bundesliga to reach the Champions League for the first time, and then went 16 games without victory in autumn, due to the additional strain and after changing their transfer policy in summer.
Stuttgart are third in the Bundesliga, tied on points with Bayern Munich, and seven points clear of fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund.
The top four qualify for the Champions League where Stuttgart last played in 2009-10, going out against Barcelona in the last 16, with Tasci part of the team at the time.
Tasci said it was important for Stuttgart to "keep the squad together and strengthen it as good as possible" in order to be able to get results in Europe.
"VfB and the Champions League sounds like a dream for every VfB supporter. After the course of the season and the current situation, the goal for VfB Stuttgart in the remaining games should clearly be to achieve a Champions League place," Tasci said.
"On the other hand, it's also sad that a successful traditional club like VfB hasn't been in the Champions League for 14 years and hasn't been represented internationally for around 10 years."