Even the defeat at BVB does not change the fact that TSG is having a good season. However, if they qualify for international competition, they face trouble with UEFA.
After six Bundesliga games without defeat in a row, TSG Hoffenheim suffered a deserved 0-2 (0-1) defeat at Borussia Dortmund on Sunday evening. It’s no disaster, though, as coach Christian Ilzer’s team is still having a strong season, which is reflected in the fact that they are fifth in the table and still on course for European competition.
The million-dollar loss in 2024 was followed by a “replenishment” from Hopp
However, if the Kraichgauers do manage to qualify for one of the UEFA club competitions, they face trouble from the confederation’s financial control chamber, at least. Under the circumstances, TSG is unlikely to have complied with UEFA’s financial rules over the three-year period in question. The so-called “sustainability regulations” stipulate that over a period of three seasons, losses of up to €60 million, or up to €90 million in exceptional cases, can be offset by investor subsidies. In 2022, UEFA adopted these regulations as the successor regime to the so-called Financial Fair Play 2.0.
The problem for Hoffenheim: as early as 2023/24, the club posted a loss of €24.9 million, which, according to the consolidated financial statements, was covered by the “atypical silent partner,” i.e., Dietmar Hopp, and thus reduced his investment accordingly. In August 2024, Hopp then injected a further €80 million to finance outrageously expensive transfers such as those of Adam Hlozek and Alexander Prass. This is not really compatible with the financial rules. And the billionaire seems to have added more in the current season as well.
Schicker: “That will be necessary again this year”
At least that’s how statements made by sporting director Andreas Schicker on Sport 1’s Doppelpass could be understood. The Austrian said last Sunday: “Dietmar Hopp has made repeated contributions in recent years, and that will be necessary again this year in one area.” Also interesting: in 2023, Hopp is said to have granted a €30 million loan, which enabled the sporting management at the time to sign Mergim Berisha alongside Anton Stach, who, interestingly, was a client of Hopp’s friend Roger Wittmann at the time. Today, Berisha is no longer even in the professional squad, and other expensive Rogon clients such as Attila Szalai and Stanley Nsoki have also flopped, while the agency’s cheaper players such as Tim Lemperle and Fisnik Asllani promise high resale values.
Schicker would have to generate precisely that in order to avoid trouble with UEFA inspectors in the event of qualification for the Europa League, for example, but that would then be at the expense of sporting quality. Most recently, Chelsea FC was fined €31 million, and the Blues must also show a positive transfer balance by 2027. FC Barcelona must achieve this by 2026 and pay €15 million. The European Football Association usually concludes so-called “settlement agreements” with the clubs for this purpose.