A soon to be 80-Year-old in the green crosshair. The Banner that showed the Gladbach Ultras ten days ago, was the beginning of an action by a number of German Terraces, which puts German football into turmoil.

The events of Saturday in Sinsheim, were the climax of the feud between the Ultras and the billionaire and Hoffenheim patron Dietmar Hopp.

Dietmar Hopp in addition to FC-Bayern-boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (l.). (Photo: Keystone)

The match between Hoffenheim and Bayern Munich was because of the offensive Banner in the visiting fans, to the address Hopps shortly before the crash. More games of the weekend also. All of the individual football supporters against Hopp triggered by the aversion.

Why is this entrepreneur for a part of the Terraces and the enemy number 1?

collectors and construction workers

Hopp came in 1940 in Heidelberg to the world. In Hoffenheim he grew up. The father was a teacher and troop leader of the Nazi time. With 7 Hopp got his first Ball, he was stuck from old Bicycle inner tubes together. Hopp played for the juniors of the village Association, the TSG. His Talent was limited. The dream of a professional career is a utopia.

As a youth, the business man came out slowly in him: In high school, he earned a snail of his money Collecting wine mountain. He toiled in construction and later completed a degree in communications engineering. After graduation, he worked at IBM.

entrepreneur and benefactor

After four years, he was self-employed. The then-32-Year-old founded with four IBM colleagues, the company-system analysis and program development – in short, SAP. Hopp says in retrospect: "We had a lot of luck and were at the right time at the right place." In 1988, SAP went public. The company became the world group, hop into a multi-billionaire. The business magazine "Forbes" estimates Hopps assets currently is around 13.3 billion euros.

Four billion of his assets went to his Foundation. It supports homes for the Disabled, and climate-related projects, creating youth development programs and helps and old people's homes. A small portion of a variety of projects. The most in the Metropolitan area of Rhine-Neckar, in his home, where hop helps as a patron of sports clubs to Size.

patron sponsors

He opened football schools, supports the handball players of Rhein-Neckar Löwen and the Eishockeyaner the Adler Mannheim. The sports fans are familiar with Hopp but especially as a donor of the TSG Hoffenheim.

Under his leadership, the Club developed within 25 years from the Eight top-flight club to the European Cup participants. About 350 million euros, he is supposed to have in the Club pumped. The term "retort club" made the rounds. The TSG take away the tradition of the clubs a place in professional football, so the opinion of many Fans. But also from officials such as BVB CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, or Schalke Manager Christian Heidel. Both were to be tempted to statements in this direction – and fueled the sentiment.

enemy image number 1

In recent years, the fanpro were the most and insults against Hopp stronger, louder. Especially the Dortmund Fans have attacked Hopp injected and recorded. The first Banner with the likeness of Hopps in the crosshairs appeared already in 2008. The feud took its course. After the BVB-curve in the season 17/18 at the host's game in Sinsheim had Hopp as a "son of a whore" sung, prior to this months later under civil law against the perpetrator. Against around 50 Ultras were identified, three were sentenced.

The Banner in the Stand of Bavaria. (Photo: Keystone)

in mid-February, then the judgment that led to the current wave of protest: The BVB Fans, to new abusive chants as repeat offenders viewed, were occupied by the DFB with a two-year ban for Sinsheim. In the case of a guest of the Dortmund remains of the guests sector to play. Collective punishment: A few misbehave, thousands are punished. A touchy subject. Especially since the German football Association and the League lossagten before two years from such penalties. Other Terraces showed solidarity on the weekend with the Ultras from Dortmund. In a way that led almost to the abandonment.

Nazi past of the father

But not only his patronage attack surface, also Hopps dealing with the Nazi offers past of his father, was in Germany on the subject. This was SA-troop leader in Hoffenheim. Under his leadership there, in 1938, the synagogue was destroyed. The resident Jewish family was deported and ended up in 1940 in the concentration camp. The parents die in Auschwitz, the sons survive and to later write about the experience. Hopps Foundation supported the film adaptation of the book.

But Hopp also spoke with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung about his father and verzettelte this: "When he got in 1938, the order to destroy the synagogue in Hoffenheim, he already had three children, my older brothers and sisters. He would not have made it, he would have been fired, and his family was not in a hopeless time." A Dilemma that followed Germany since the dark times: the perpetrator or the perpetrator in the victim role? "What he has done, is to be condemned, even if no one is killed."

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Created: 03.03.2020, 11:49 PM