GENERAL NEWS
12/03/2018

Hofmann re-elected, club reflect upon historic year

Precisely 542 members joined TSG officials and decision-makers at the annual general meeting in Wiesloch on Monday to reflect upon a unique year in the history of the club. Peter Hofmann was re-elected as first chairman, while Frank Engelhardt will remain the third chairman.

There were goals galore as the AGM kicked off at the Palatin Kongress Hotel in Wiesloch. The many members who had made their way to the small city in Baden-Württemberg were shown a video of some of the best goals scored by TSG Hoffenheim players of all ages, ranging from the U14s to the first team.

Following a welcome speech by Dirk Elkemann, the Lord Mayor of Wiesloch, and a speech commemorating the dead by third chairman Frank Engelhardt, the microphone was passed to the acting chairman Peter Hofmann. Hofmann began his address by expressing his support for club patron Dietmar Hopp and condemning the insulting songs and conduct aimed at him. "Values and respect have been disregarded in this case," the first chairman said.

But then Hofmann switched his attention to the good news: the extraordinary sporting success of the TSG teams. With Hoffenheim first team coach Julian Nagelsmann and senior players Kevin Vogt, Dennis Geiger, Kevin Akpoguma and David Otto all in attendance, Hofmann highlighted the extraordinary achievements of the senior side. "Looking back it's been an historic year for TSG. There has been great astonishment – and even greater admiration – internationally. The team has won over a lot of new fans thanks to its tremendous performances."

Auditors confirm healthy financial situation of the club

Hofmann also had special words of acknowledgement for the academy teams. First and foremost, he cited the successes of the U19s in the UEFA Youth League. "If you compare the performances of the other German teams in this competition, then we can be very proud of our team. Our A-youth team has made their mark on the international stage and demonstrated that the development work at TSG is bearing fruit." In the 2017/18 season, three youth products − Alfons Amade, Christoph Baumgartner and David Otto − were promoted to the senior side and the U19s lifted the South German Championship for the fourth time in five seasons. Hofmann labelled it "an outstanding achievement".

There was further praise for the accomplishments of the TSG Hoffenheim women's teams. As well as their sporting achievements, Hofmann was particularly impressed by the fact that more than half of the female players came through the club's own youth ranks.

Next came the turn of auditor Jens Lehmann, the man responsible for the figures, to present the financial report. Lehmann spoke about the investments made by TSG, such as the refurbishment of the articial pitch next to the Dietmar Hopp Stadium. Despite this investment, there had been no fundamental change to the balance sheet, said the auditor, who reported that in the end there had been an annual profit of €28,650. "The club has fulfilled all of its obligations and has performed strongly," Lehmann declared.

Unanimous approval of the board's activities

The figures were followed by a series of votes and elections, though they were swiftly concluded. First of all, the activities of the board were unanimously approved by the 186 members in attendance who were entitled to vote, as was the re-election of Peter Hofmann as the first chairman of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim e.V. for the next three years. Hofmann was delighted with the result of the election. Frank Engelhardt was then confirmed as the third chairman without any votes against or abstentions.

There was then another unanimous vote by the members, who without exception chose Michael Oehler to be the new data protection officer. A majority of the members later voted for a slight increase in membership fees, although that motion was not carried unanimously.

Under the agenda item "Reports on club activities", Holger Kliem, the Head of Media and Public Relations at TSG Spielbetriebs GmbH, gave an insight into the club's comprehensive media offering. The club spokesman cited figures such as the club's 620,000 social media followers around the world as he underlined the relevance of the media department. "We, as a club, have the opportunity to win over many fans and decision-makers with our performances," declared Kliem, who presented a few choice figures to illustrate his department's enormous growth in all channels. For example, TSG's digital growth stood at 12 percent – the third-highest value in the division.

Three new honorary members

Three especially loyal TSG members were subsequently honoured for their 50 years of club membership. The trio in question were Heide Fessenbecker, Hermann Leucht and Klaus Schmitt, who were made honorary members. A further nine members were presented with the Golden Badge of Honour for 40 years as club members, while another 12 were given the Silver Badge of Honour for 25 years.

Next up, it was Herwig Werschak's turn to receive a well-deserved round of applause for his many years of voluntary work as the chairman of the Sinsheim soccer district. That was followed by further applause for Marlene Müller und Gudrun Berberig, who were honoured for their services in the TSG gymnastics department. Marlene Müller received the Golden Badge of Honour of Elsenz-Turngau and Gudrun Berberig, who has been in charge of the TSG women's gymnastics group since 1968, received the Golden Badge of Merit of the Baden Gymnastics Federation.

At the end, the former and new first chairman Peter Hofmann announced that an information event on the traffic concept at the WIRSOL Rhein-Neckar-Arena was being planned. Members had previously expressed their desire for such an event. In particular, the members had declared that they would like improved travel to and from the stadium on matchdays. Other issues such as "sustainability" and "WLAN at the WIRSOL Rhein-Neckar-Arena" were brought up by the members and taken on board by Peter Hofmann as well as the managing directors Dr. Peter Görlich and Frank Briel.

 

Honoured members

Honorary membership for 50 years of club membership

Heide Fessenbecker
Hermann Leucht
Klaus Schmitt

Golden Badge of Honour for 40 years of club membership

Roland Adam
Frank Engelhardt
Diana Heesen
Karl-Heinz Hockenberger
Manuela Kohlroß
Heidemarie Mack
Maren Rasig
Stephan Rink
Anne-Rose Schwander

Silver Badge of Honour for 25 years of club membership

Daniel Allgeier
Sabine Diebold
Inge Engelhardt
Thomas Fuchs
Ralf Hassert
Benjamin Heß
Erwin Jäger
Anke Kolb
Nico Laumann-Lipp
Tristan Laumann-Lipp
Dominik Rasig
Julia Sambel
Petra Schatz
Peter Vogel

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