A quick glance at the Bundesliga table will show you that after the first round of matches, an unfamiliar name currently parades at the top of it—1899 Hoffenheim. The story of the club rooted in the village of Hoffenheim in the South-West Germany is a remarkable one.
For the romanticists out there it is a fairytale; the cynics on the other hand, will argue that the rise of Germany’s most controversial club of the last few years sets a dangerous precedent.
The story began back in the early 1990’s with the return of former player Dietmar Hopp to the club. This was no ordinary alumni return though. Hopp brought with him his vast personal fortune, amassed through the software company he co-founded, SAP (currently Europe’s largest software company).
Looking to invest some of his wealth into a football club, Hopp decided against purchasing an established club, opting instead to invest in the club he had played as a centre-forward for in his younger days, the one closest to his heart, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. At that time, the club was nothing more than an amateur village team, turning out in the eighth tier of the German football league system.
In the 18-year period since Hopp became the club’s financial backer, Hoffenheim have risen through the league system to the very top. Due largely to the £120 million the entrepreneur has ploughed into the club.
Naturally, parallels have been drawn between Hopp’s involvement with Hoffenheim and Roman Abramovich’s investment in Chelsea. Hopp though, has been keen to rubbish any suggestion of similarities.
Indeed, Hopp has stated that his aims are solely to provide his club with the foundations for long-term success, refuting claims from critics that the club is just his expensive “plaything.”
His investment strategies thus far back-up his claim. In his early years of ownership Hopp invested in state of the art training facilities, and as such 1899 Hoffenheim’s success thus far has been based on the development of youth players from its range of youth academy, which includes teams spanning from under 12s to under 19s age-groups.
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