1,000 fans at the opening of city store

A place for sport from the region, in the region: on Thursday, the city store at Bismarckplatz in Heidelberg was officially opened. More than 1,000 visitors made the opening ceremony a great event and made a bold statement for top-class sport in the Rhine-Neckar region.

It was planned as a casual get-together starting at 16:00, guests enjoyed cool drinks at the mobile cocktail bar and delicious food at the food truck – and the response was overwhelming, thanks in part to the pros from TSG Hoffenheim, the Rhein-Neckar Löwen, the MLP Academics Heidelberg and the representatives of the Heidelberg Olympic Training Centre, who had all come to chat, take selfies and sign autographs. "The response is great. We are all very happy because it is now officially starting. The pavilion will be a hotspot for all sports enthusiasts. What has been created here is unique," said Heidelberg's Lord Mayor Eckart Würzner in his speech at the official opening. "We want to bind people to the clubs. There was nothing like this in the metropolitan region before. It is something special that we have now succeeded in making this happen in Heidelberg."

For the representatives of TSG Hoffenheim, first-team players Ihlas Bebou and Finn Becker and managing director Tim Jost, the event was an enjoyable break from the routine. "It was a very nice event. Due to my injury, I haven't had much contact with the fans for a long time. It felt good," said Ihlas Bebou, with Finn Becker adding: "The sunny weather was perfect for the event. It was great to see so many people come to the opening."

The City Store is a joint project between TSG Hoffenheim, the Rhein-Neckar Löwen, MLP Academics Heidelberg and the Olympic Training Centre in Heidelberg. The pavilion on Bismarckplatz, which has been open since the end of January as part of a test phase, allows fans to buy merchandise and tickets for their favourite clubs' matches. Various events are also planned in the store – such as the recent double interview with Anton Stach and Juri Knorr conducted by the Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung.

"Many thanks to all those involved in making this great statement for the region with the city store," said TSG managing director Tim Jost at the opening, paying tribute to the club's partners. "We are not competitors, at the end of the day it's about the metropolitan region. We want to set a shining example and keep the region at the front of our thoughts.’ 

The store in the city centre will be open from Friday 4 April, Monday to Friday from 11:00 to 19:00 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 14:00.