Hoffenheim opt to sever close ties with controversial Dietmar Hopp confidant | OneFootball

The publicly covered administrative chaos at Hoffenheim has produced yet another very public scandal. In the Thursday print edition of Kicker featured a story on the continued influence of club patron Dietmar Hopp, even though the controversial owner of the club promised to step back and return the Bundesliga club to 50+1 rule two years ago.

Hopp’s influence in this particular case relates to the 84-year-old’s personal relationship with footballing agent Roger Wittmann. Hoffenheim’s squad planning and personnel choices are rumoured to be influenced by Wittmann and Hopp. The club’s massive spending spree this summer and winter has often directed at clients of Wittmann’s ROGON sports management.

Many transfer flops (Kasim Adams, Attila Szalai, Mërgim Berisha, and Stanley Nsoki to name a few) have resulted from bad money being thrown at Wittmann’s clients. The reintroduction of Malian midfielder Diadie Samassekou into head coach Christian Ilzer’s personnel plans this season may have something to do with with the fact that the 29-year-old is represented by Wittmann’s company.

Fans and players of the TSG alike find themselves fed up with the influence of Hopp and his cronies in the club. TSG supporters staged anti Wittmann protests at the recent home Bundesliga fixture against Mainz 05. The management in Sinsheim has now responded to the Kicker story and the protests by declaring that they will publicly distance themselves from Wittmann.

Hoffenheim responded to direct inquiries from Kicker. The direct quotes that follow can be found on a piece published on Kicker’s website Friday.

“We have formulated a requirement within the management to critically examine existing partnerships,” the club statement reads. “In doing so, we have come to the conclusion that we need to change course with regard to our cooperation with player advisors and agencies.

“The management has took a clear stance on further cooperation with player agents,” the statement continues. “In so doing, the club’s management has decided to completely remove player agents from involvement in club processes in the future.“

“Mr. Hopp was actively involved in the decision-making process and has agreed with the clear line taken by the management,” the statement concludes. “We would like to thank him and club chairman, Jörg Albrecht, who has supported the management from the outset, for their trust and support along the way.“

It can be assumed that this will not completely sever the ties between Wittmann and the club, but rather reduce them to a normal level customary between clubs and agencies. Accordingly, it seems entirely conceivable that Rogon players will continue to be signed by TSG in the future, but only if the sporting management considers it sensible and not just Wittmann considers it profitable.

Other examples of Wittmann’s involvement in the club include the career trajectory of former striker Georginio Rutter. Wittmann profited handsomely via royalties secured on the Frenchman’s €40m sale to Leeds United in the Winter 2023 transfer window. Rutter’s spontaneous sale seemed very fishy at the time.

A little later in the very same season, it was Wittmann who, through his influence on Hopp, wanted to install his candidate Kenan Kocak as successor to the sacked coach André Breitenreiter. This came within a hair’s breadth of succeeding.

In that case, however, sporting management overrode Wittmann’s idea and appointed Pellegrino Matarazzo as the head coach in February 2023. This nevertheless wasn’t the end of the story.

Matarazzo was still nearly dismissed in favor of Kocak later that year, but remained in charge after securing a crucial matchday 25 encounter against relegation rivals Hertha BSC in late March.

GGFN | Peter Weis