DFL allows Hopp to take over Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim investor Dietmar Hopp can take over the Bundesliga club next year, the German football league DFL decided on Thursday.
The DFL made an exception to its regular 50+1 rule, which denies investors a takeover by keeping a majority of votes with the club, because Hopp has supported football at Hoffenheim for more than 20 years in a row with considerable sums.
The modified rule says that not only companies like Volkswagen (Wolfsburg) or Bayer (Leverkusen) can have full control of a club, but also private investors. However, the 20-year criteria still denies ad hoc takeovers.
Hopp, a 74-year-old billionaire and co-founder of software company SAP, has supported Hoffenheim since 1989 and invested some E350 million ($A525 million) into players, a training centre, the stadium and further infrastructure at Hoffenheim who have been in the Bundesliga since 2007.
He also supports other sports clubs in the region.
The DFL decision has to be confirmed by the German football federation DFB, but that is considered a formality.
Hoffenheim quoted Hopp as saying that the takeover will help him "direct the sporting and financial engagement towards long-term sustainability of the TSG (club) and its further success."
The DFL rule clarifications came in the wake of an attempt by Hanover president Martin Kind to take over his club. Kind has supported Hanover since 1998 and aims for his company to take over in 2018 when the 20 years of investment have been reached.
