Many “Hoffe haters” may believe Hoffenheim’s rise was 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.