TSV 1860 Munich crashes into the regional league again. The main sponsor drops out. In terms of sport, there are almost exclusively question marks. Insolvency experts are involved. The future of the traditional club is completely open.
The mood among the fans of TSV 1860 Munich was devastated. “It’s the lowest point because things can’t go up anymore. The fans are getting fewer. The club will disappear,” explained a supporter in a tear-choked voice on the BR24Sport microphone.
1860: No agreement between Ismaik and eV
For the second time in nine years, the traditional club has to go to the Bavarian Regional League. Another million euros were missing from the license for the 3rd league. Once again, the representatives of the two shareholders struggled to reach an agreement until the German Football Association (DFB) deadline.
In the end, as in 2017, negotiations between the eV and investor Hasan Ismaik collapsed. And so the club’s management around President Gernot Mang had to announce: “In the end there were two contracts, one was acceptable for the eV, the other for the HAM. Both were acceptable for the KGaA, for me and Manfred Paula (managing director, editor’s note). The KGaA also really tried to find solutions, but unfortunately there was no agreement.”
Lions relegation: everything worse than 2017
Mang and Bergmaier tried to spread optimism among the dismayed fans in front of the office, but that came to nothing. Calls quickly became loud for the entire leadership team to resign.
The prospects for 1860 are bleak. In 2017, after the initial shock, there was almost euphoria. The move to the old home, the municipal stadium on Grünwalder Straße, was inspiring.
1860: Lots of question marks, hardly any certainties
The sporting future also looked like a quick return to professional business. With Daniel Bierofka, a club icon was on the sidelines, young players from the second team were given a chance and were coached by seasoned professionals around Sascha Mölders.
In 2026, the look ahead mainly shows question marks. It remains to be seen whether coach Markus Kauczinski will stay. The lions had aimed for a change and sorted them out vigorously. But now you are even in danger of losing the players you wanted to keep, as apparently only eight contracts are valid in the regional league.
1860 Munich loses main sponsor
The next part of the misery is finances. On the one hand, the lack of TV money from the 3rd league will result in a loss of millions, which is likely to be made worse by the fact that it is at least questionable whether 1860 will be able to sell out its home games week after week after the crash.
On the other hand, further cooperation with the sponsors is up in the air. The main sponsor “Die Bayerische” made a beginning – or an end. The insurance company declared on Wednesday evening that it wanted to use its special right of termination.
1860 works with Insolvency advisors together
And speaking of home games: Another question that arises is whether the city of Munich is pushing ahead with plans to expand the “Grünwalder” into a regional league team. This was considered a prerequisite for the economic health of the lions.
In short, the consequences for the club’s development as a result of the crash could be catastrophic, as a statement on the club’s own homepage shows. It says it is working “closely with experienced experts and consultants in the field of insolvency law to maintain business operations in an orderly manner.” You don’t need a business degree to realize that the Munich-based company is on the verge of bankruptcy.
Fighting slogans instead of unity in 1860
Perhaps the biggest problem, however, remains the constant internal disputes. For the eV, Ismaik is a grateful debt holder and of course the entrepreneur has a large share in the problems. But the truth is: TSV suffers from the sins of the past and has high liabilities that date back to their time in the 2nd Bundesliga. Unity at the top of the club would be all the more important.
In this respect, the combative words at the end of the statement seem empty. “Now is the time to come together and fight. Every support counts: in the stands, on social media, at events, through memberships or simply through a clear commitment to the lions,” wrote the TSV. Whether this will be received is unclear – like so many things at 1860 these days.
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Source: BR24 TV June 3, 2026 – 4:30 p.m
