Shared commitment to the special TSG way

TSG Hoffenheim were hosting the New Year's reception for the fifth time in total – and yet it almost felt like a premiere. Following a two-year break as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the club was once again able to welcome its partners and sponsors to what has already established itself as a traditional event at the PreZero Arena.

More than 400 friends and supporters of the club accepted the invitation and experienced a varied evening featuring entertainment, information and good discussions. Presenter Britta Hofmann, who is known as the face of Bundesliga broadcaster sky, guided the audience through the proceedings and gave the guests an advance and thus exclusive glimpse of TSG's new short film, among other things.

The fact TSG Hoffenheim is a club in motion, at which cohesion, responsibility and new ways of thinking are emphasised, was evident not only from the elaborately produced and visually striking film. "TSG is important for the town and for the region," declared Jörg Albrecht, the Lord Mayor of Sinsheim, in his opening remarks. "We've anchored Bundesliga football in the region," said TSG Managing Director Frank Briel, who has been at the club since 2006 and thus accompanied and played a part in its promotion. "We've now been a member of the Bundesliga for 15 years uninterruptedly. The journey we've all taken together is unique," according to Briel. "TSG is a gift for the region. We can all be proud of it."

This was reiterated by his fellow Managing Director Jan Mayer: "It's actually a miracle that we can continue to compete with the elite here. We're a village and are competing with cities with millions of inhabitants. We have to do things differently; otherwise it won't work at all. We take paths that nobody ever has." Managing Director Denni Strich also reinforced this point: "We like being different and are proud of our special approach."

It became clear from the subsequent discussion involving Director of Football Alexander Rosen, Head Coach André Breitenreiter and the currently injured Grischa Prömel how TSG defines its model for sporting success. "We are by far the No. 1 in Germany in terms of transfer revenue over the past 10 years, are in the top 15 in Europe in terms of net balance and are also the club that integrates the most young players into its squad," Rosen said. "That's a highly challenging balancing act that we're all managing here together," said the Director of Football in praise of the entire team. "We're ambitious to the maximum but we also know where we stand in comparison to other clubs."

Head Coach André Breitenreiter explicitly acknowledged this approach too. "Young players are discovered and developed here. We don't talk about it here, we take action. That's a part of the identity that sets the club apart. I like this approach and I go along with it with full conviction."

Before the on-stage programme even began, the players and coaching team had mingled with the guests. Whether it was for selfies or good-natured chats, the sponsors, partners and friends of TSG Hoffenheim in attendance had almost every wish fulfilled. An all-round successful evening and at the same time a reinforcement of the shared commitment to the special Hoffenheim way.