Stielike spent six years working with different youth teams (i.e. the U21 side until 2004) of Germany and manager of Germany national under-20 football team of 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship and 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.
On 14 September 2006, Stielike penned a contract with to take over the Ivory Coast national football team in succession of Frenchman Henri Michel, subsequent to the elimination of the team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.