- Hoffenheim supporters voice discontent towards the club's leadership
Backers of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim staged protests against their team's latest personnel decisions by holding up banners. The loyal supporters of Kraichgauer chose not to provide their typical hearty cheers for the team prior to the Bundesliga opener against Holstein Kiel at the Sinsheim stadium.
The authorities had not entirely discarded the theory that a group of around 20 to 40 extremists carrying provocative posters could cause the match to be terminated this week. A banner displayed in the south stand read, "You alone want the match abandoned, so you won't look foolish."
"Dumping supporters"
The mass termination of the majority of the leadership team surrounding senior manager Alexander Rosen towards the end of July had incensed Hoffenheim supporters. They had also launched personal attacks against shareholder Hopp on the posters. According to the club's statements this week, the situation has "escalated," and there is currently zero communication between the fan base and the club.
As a preliminary step, the TSG had a designated fan zone in the stadium removed. "Playing the victim - dumping your own fans," another banner read. Fan groups had announced prior to the first home game that they would not execute a planned celebration for the club's 125th anniversary and would withhold support from the team.
The stadium was largely empty, and the visiting supporters from Kiel were audible the most. There were scattered cheers in the fan block after the earlier penalty goal by Andrej Kramaric.
Fans expressed their discontent with the mass termination of the leadership team and personal attacks against shareholder Hopp by displaying banners that read, "Dumping supporters" and "Playing the victim - dumping your own fans." The Fanscenes during the Bundesliga opener showed a significant absence of hearty cheers for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
