That rise was made possible by Dietmar Hopp’s 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.
