Bruno Labbadia (pronounced [labbaˈdiːa]; born 8 February 1966) is a German football manager and former professional player who played as a striker.

Labbadia also earned two caps for the German national team, representing his country at the international level.

As a manager, Labbadia has coached several Bundesliga clubs, most recently VfB Stuttgart.

He was considered for the role of head coach of the Nigeria national football team, but ultimately declined the position.

Labbadia is well-regarded for his ability to stabilize teams facing relegation challenges, making him a prominent figure in German football management.

[2] His family roots trace back to Lenola, a town in the Lazio region of Italy.

[3] Labbadia's parents moved to Germany as Gastarbeiter (guest workers) and settled in Schneppenhausen, near Darmstadt in the state of Hesse.

Initially, the family lived on a rented farm before relocating to Weiterstadt when Labbadia was ten years old.

[22] After the season, Labaddia left Bayer Leverkusen and joined Hamburger SV.

[25] Labbadia was dismissed on 26 April 2010, just three days before the Europa League semi-final second-leg tie against Fulham.

[36] On 30 January 2013, Labbadia signed a contract extension with Stuttgart, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2015.

[39] Prior to his sacking, Stuttgart had lost the first leg of the playoff round of the Europa League.

[40] During the press conference held in the afternoon on the same day, club president Bernd Wahler said, "Bruno Labbadia has done good work at VfB over the past three years but we want to provide fresh impetus with this change.

[52] On 20 February 2018, Labbadia was hired by VfL Wolfsburg, replacing Martin Schmidt, who had stepped down the day before.

[55] Labbadia left Wolfsburg after the 2018–19 season, which the team finished in sixth place, qualifying for the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League.

Outside of football, he is known for his involvement in charitable activities and his commitment to mentoring young players.

[62] Labbadia is fluent in both German and Italian and maintains close ties to his family roots.

[62] He acquired his secondary school leaving certificate and trained as an insurance salesman.