Dietmar Hopp: "It was a milestone"

"This day was an absolute milestone for the club," said the TSG shareholder as he looked back on the first Bundesliga game, against Energie Cottbus, on 31 January 2009.

The 78-year-old had already made plans for the arena during the club's period in the Regionalliga. "It took some courage to jump into cold water, but let's not forget that all the planning started in 2005, 2006. At that time, no one could have guessed that we would make it through the 3rd division and straight to the top," he said.

At that point in time, a decision was still to be made on the stadium's location, between Heidelberg and Sinsheim. The TSG shareholder seems to be very happy with the final choice of Sinsheim. "The stadium has become our home. It has been the best option in every aspect, especially in terms of traffic for which it is the far better option. The arena is known by many as the 'Schmuckkästchen' (Little Box of Treasures) not just because of the clear view. I must say, I'm very happy with it."

Hopp does not only just look back to the past, but also talks about the future of TSG. "I think that it is realistic for us as a club to finish among the first eight teams, to be a top-eight club. That doesn't necessarily mean that we can't have a few anomalies, it might be that we come in 10th or 12th one season. Of course, it remains our objective to play international football as frequently as possible which means finishing within the top six. This season it is my dream to once again qualify for the Champions League. I believe in the team and the coach."

In the interview, Dietmar Hopp warns against some of the tendencies in football. "The salaries that are being paid out are becoming completely insane. It is highly unhealthy and hasn't been socially acceptable for a while now. Obviously, the whole system won't collapse overnight, but the first signs of erosion are already there. The number of spectators is slowly decreasing - luckily not here - but it is going in that direction." In addition, Dietmar Hopp also worries about oversaturation from other leagues. "That's something we've got to watch out for. Soon we'll have Europa League 2, the World Cup is being expanded and we've got other new competitions like the Nations League. It keeps going, it keeps becoming more. Where will it all end up? It is bad, without wanting to say that it is awful."