Patron Dietmar Hopp harshly criticized the club’s Bundesliga team at the general meeting of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
“The 0-0 draw against Fürth was inexcusable. The last three games were unacceptable, the 1:5 in Mönchengladbach even embarrassing,” said the 82-year-old at the event on Saturday in the Sinsheim stadium.
The missed Europa League participation would cost the club around 20 million euros, the missed leap into the Champions League “much, much more”.
With nine games without a win at the end of the season, the Kraichgauers had lost a place in the European Cup as ninth in the table, before that TSG had even been on course for the premier class. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß therefore had to leave this week after two years.
“I think there is no doubt that we had to take action on the coaching position and beyond,” said Hopp. He is the majority owner of Hoffenheimer Fußball-Spielbetriebs GmbH.
At the general meeting last October, the SAP co-founder and billionaire formulated his claim that Hoffenheim should “permanently” take sixth place or better. “I stand by the fact that we have the potential to be among the top six teams in the league,” said Hopp.
He announced a new offensive in the search for talent, as the youth teams are also weakening.
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