Good to Know
1899 Hoffenheim are a village club. That is
1899 Hoffenheim are a village club.
well known. Less well known is that they come from the Bundesliga location with the fewest inhabitants.
If you count only the village of Hoffenheim
If you count only the village of Hoffenheim itself, with 3,266 residents, TSG took over in 2008 from Unterhaching, which had around 22,000 inhabitants, as the smallest Bundesliga town.
itself, with 3,266 residents, TSG took over in 2008 from Unterhaching, which had around 22,000 inhabitants, as the smallest Bundesliga town. If you add the population of Sinsheim, where Hoffenheim’s matches are played, the number rises to around 36,000, which would still leave them behind Haching. Before the Munich suburb side reached the Bundesliga in 1999, the Saarland club FC 08 Homburg, with 44,000 inhabitants, had held the title of smallest Bundesliga town for more than a decade.
But unlike the other “small” clubs such as Unterhaching, Homburg or, before them, Borussia Neunkirchen, Hoffenheim not only established themselves permanently in the Bundesliga, they also became the only true village club to break into European competition.
That rise was made possible by Dietmar Hopp’s
That rise was made possible by Dietmar Hopp’s massive financial backing of both club and company.
massive financial backing of both club and company. With his support, Hoffenheim climbed from Kreisliga A to the Bundesliga between 1990 and 2008. That is well known. Less well known is the legend that the trigger for Hopp’s involvement was Hoffenheim’s 2–4 defeat after extra time in a relegation match against 1. FC Stebbach, followed by the club’s relegation from the Bezirksliga to Kreisliga A in 1989. According to the story, that was the moment when the SAP co-founder and billionaire decided to support his hometown club financially.
Many “Hoffe haters” may believe Hoffenheim’s rise was
Many “Hoffe haters” may believe Hoffenheim’s rise was bought through distortion of competition, with money and expensive signings.
bought through distortion of competition, with money and expensive signings. That is only partly true. In reality, Hoffenheim became a transfer giant from the village, with a remarkable nose for players who could later be sold for huge fees.
Need examples? In the previous nine years, as of December 2019, Hoffenheim sold ten players for eight-figure sums, bringing in a combined 242.5 million euros. Joelinton and Firmino alone both generated more than 40 million.
The biggest sales were Joelinton to Newcastle for 44 million, Firmino to Liverpool for 41 million, Demirbay to Leverkusen for 32 million, Schulz to Dortmund for 25.5 million, Süle to Bayern for 20 million, Volland to Leverkusen for 20 million, Eduardo to Kazan for 20 million, Gustavo to Bayern for 17 million, Wagner to Bayern for 13 million and Sigurdsson to Tottenham for 10 million.
Another thing the media rarely mentions: Hopp played
Another thing the media rarely mentions: Hopp played for the club in the 1960s, when Hoffenheim never rose above the Sinsheim A-Klasse.
for the club in the 1960s, when Hoffenheim never rose above the Sinsheim A-Klasse. Legend has it that local butchers rewarded the striker Hopp with a tin of homemade liver sausage for every goal. As one Hoffenheim special from 2009 put it: if that friendly gesture is what created the emotional bond between Hopp and the club, then someone ought to erect a monument to the butcher in Kraichgau.
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TSG · FY 2023-24Good to Know — Update 2020–2026
The years after Julian Nagelsmann were a search for identity for TSG Hoffenheim.
The years after Julian Nagelsmann were a search
The years after Julian Nagelsmann were a search for identity for TSG Hoffenheim.
for identity for TSG Hoffenheim. Nagelsmann left for Leipzig in 2019, and his successor Alfred Schreuder lasted only one season. Sebastian Hoeness followed and guided the club solidly through 2020/21. Then came Andre Breitenreiter, with less success.
Pellegrino Matarazzo brought stability. Christian Ilzer took over. The coaching rotation was not as extreme as at some rivals, but TSG never found anyone who even came close to reaching Nagelsmann’s level.
In February 2020, the Bundesliga was shaken by
In February 2020, the Bundesliga was shaken by the “Hopp affair.” In several stadiums, ultras displayed insulting banners directed at TSG patron Dietmar Hopp.
the “Hopp affair.” In several stadiums, ultras displayed insulting banners directed at TSG patron Dietmar Hopp. During Bayern versus Hoffenheim, the memorable scene unfolded in which Bayern’s players positioned themselves in front of the Hopp banner and demonstrated solidarity with the billionaire. The DFL threatened match abandonments.
It was the peak of a years-long debate about patronage, the 50+1 rule and the soul of German football.