Ongoing Protests Against Roger Wittmann at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

The recent ruling by a Heidelberg regional court allowing controversial agent Roger Wittmann to continue attending TSG 1899 Hoffenheim matches at the PreZero Arena has incited significant backlash from club supporters. During the latest home Bundesliga fixture, Hoffenheim ultras organized a protest against Wittmann, reflecting growing discontent within the fanbase.

Earlier this week, two club administrators, who supported an appeal against the court’s decision, were dismissed from their positions. Hoffenheim executives Dr. Markus Schütz and Frank Briel had been among the leading advocates for eliminating Wittmann’s influence from the club. In an unexpected turn, club patron Dietmar Hopp initially distanced himself from club matters, only to later announce his intention to support his close associate.

The dismissals of Schütz and Briel were reportedly due to an “irrevocably damaged” relationship with Hopp, although official statements from Hoffenheim have not publicly acknowledged this issue. Consequently, TSG supporters displayed banners demanding transparency during the recent match.

Among the various protest actions within the TSG FanKurve, a banner labeled “Öffentlichskeitsfahndung” (man-hunt) suggested that Wittmann should be located wherever he might be “hiding” in the stadium. Another banner referred to Wittmann as a type of con-artist who preys on the elderly, implicating the 85-year-old Hopp. Furthermore, a banner accused Wittmann of committing commercial fraud, asserting that substantial evidence exists to support this claim.

A prominent banner in front of the ultra Kurve read, “Roger Wittmann, verpiss dich aus unserem Verein” (“Roger Wittmann, piss off from our club“), while fans chanted against him and displayed additional placards stating “Wittmann Stoppen” throughout the match.

An editorial published on this site in September provided historical context by recalling previous anti-Dietmar Hopp demonstrations that occurred between 2018 and 2020. The notorious “Fadenkreuz” (“cross-hairs”) controversy involved supporters of various Bundesliga clubs displaying images of Hopp in rifle cross-hairs, which was classified as hate speech and led to match interruptions.

In a more recent editorial, the ongoing protests are contextualized as a unique situation where Hopp’s own fans are voicing their grievances against him. Hopp had pledged to restore the 50+1 rule in the spring of 2023, a promise he fulfilled through the DFL approximately eight months later. Despite this development, he continues to wield influence over the club’s operations, prioritizing the interests of a personal associate over those of the fanbase.

The editorial further argues that Hopp, who has reiterated that the TSG 1899 Hoffenheim project represents a “labor of love,” has an opportunity to honor this commitment by returning control of the project to the local community. It asserts that if Hopp remains more focused on entertaining certain friends in his luxury suite, the project cannot genuinely be regarded as a “labor of love” aimed at benefiting the Rhein-Neckar region.