Dietmar Hopp will return his majority voting rights in TSG Hoffenheim-Spielbetriebs GmbH to the parent club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim eV without compensation.
As announced by the Bundesliga soccer team, the previous majority shareholder is waiving the exemption that came into effect on July 1, 2015. The “kicker” had previously reported about it.
The return means that the Bundesliga soccer club is giving up its special status outside of the 50+1 rule. The regulation, which only applies to German professional football, basically states that the decision-making majority must always remain with the parent club when investing. This is to prevent clubs – such as in England – from being sold completely.
The Bundeskartellamt had classified the 50+1 rule in 2021 as harmless in terms of sports policy, but criticized the three exceptions for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim with majority owner Hopp and the company-controlled clubs Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg.
The three clubs are currently exempt from the 50+1 rule because they have been significantly supported by a corporation or investor for more than 20 years. The clarification process is still ongoing.