Dietmar Hopp
PEOPLE AND PLACES IN THE NEWS
resumed, 13 minutes of non-combatant
action ensued, with players merely
passing the ball among themselves.
Hoffenheim skipper Benjamin Hubner
later told Bild newspaper that the two
squads collectively agreed to call a truce
as a way of protesting against the fans’
behaviour. “We didn’t want to allow the
match to be abandoned,” he said. “We
were trying to give a sign.”
At the final whistle, players and
representatives from both clubs made a
point of standing together and saluting
the home fans. Tellingly, Bayern’s players
made no attempt to interact with their
own supporters.
Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz
Rummenigge was especially damning,
saying: “This has been a dark day for
football. I must clearly and unequivocally
say that I’m ashamed of what happened
in the away end.
“We have had everything filmed and
will take action with all our might against
those who have discredited our club.”
It is thought two Bayern fan groups,
Red Fanatic and Schickeria, were to
blame, but to what extent Rummenigge
will go to war against them is unknown
Of course, the anti-Hopp brigade
is not confined to Bayern. Borussia
Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach,
Cologne and Union Berlin fans have all
made similar feelings known.
In the stands, hate is definitely winning
at the moment.
Nick Bidwellbut he might just be tempted to take a
chance on Nkunku.
Born and raised in Paris by Congolese
parents, the youngster can play out wide
on either flank and is equally comfortable
as a second striker or a number 10. Such
versatility screams Euro 2020 wild card.
Julian Nagelsmann must take a lot of
the credit for the player’s explosion.
Initially the Leipzig coach found the
Frenchman a little too timid for his own
good and was concerned that his new
signing reserved his best performances
for the training ground, often going into
his shell on matchdays.
Nagelsmann made it clear he wanted
him to accept more responsibility. Message
received, understood and acted upon.
Nick Bidwell
H
offenheim
benefactor
Dietmar Hopp
has vowed to
keep attending
games despite
visiting Bayern
Munich fans targetting him with abusive
banners during a chaotic Bundesliga
fixture at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena, which
Bayern comfortably won 6-0.
For many German football fans,
Hopp and Hoffenheim simply embody
everything they detest in the modern
game: a “plastic club” without tradition,
a one-man-band form of ownership.
The reason stems from Hoffenheim
being granted exemption, in 2015, from
the member-majority rules governing the
structure of professional clubs in
Germany. But Hopp insists he will not be
cowed, declaring: “Why shouldn’t I go to
the stadium? The people who do this are
the ones who should stay away.
“If I knew what these idiots wanted
from me, it would be all the easier for
me to understand.”
In chaotic scenes which did little for
the image of German football, referee
Christian Dingert twice had to suspend
play late in the second half, implementing
the domestic federation’s three-step
protocol for dealing with offensive
banners or racism.
Bayern officials, players and coach
Hansi Flick pleaded with their supporters
to tone down the antics, but when playFans vent anger at Hoffenheim owner
Support...with
Bayern’s Karl-Heinz
Rummenigge (right)