Waldhof patron Beetz sets deadline: "Above the line in winter"
Bernd Beetz, president and patron of the struggling third-division soccer club SV Waldhof Mannheim, has set the sporting management a deadline until the end of the year. "We have to be above the line in winter," demanded Beetz following the general meeting of the traditional club. At the same time, the patron assured that he would continue his support even if the club is relegated to the regional league next summer. "I support that," explained the 73-year-old.
Rüdiger Rehm's Waldhöfer are currently 18th in the table and are in free fall after eight third division games without a win. The team is one point behind 16th place and has four games to go before the winter break, with FC Ingolstadt coming up against them on Saturday (2 p.m./MagentaSport).
When presenting the business figures at the general meeting on Monday evening, Beetz made it clear just how much the club depends on his involvement. In the past 2022/23 season, Beetz said he provided around €2.9 million for the professional division, which generated total revenue of around €12.3 million. The annual loss is just under 700,000 euros. The structural deficit - without the support from Beetz - amounted to around 3.5 million euros.
During the meeting, the fans criticized managing director Markus Kompp, who has been in charge of the Waldhof professionals since 2016. Many of the 364 members present called on Beetz to part ways with Kompp. There were chants of "Kompp must go".
The members had not expressed their displeasure so clearly in previous years. Kompp himself was not present at the event. According to Beetz, there had been threats against the managing director in the run-up to the event. "Some crap happened," he said. Apparently the tires on Kompp's car were slashed, among other things, Beetz said.
Despite SV Waldhof Mannheim's current position in the third league, having lost eight games in a row without a win, the club's patron Bernd Beetz affirms his continued support, even if relegation to the regional league becomes inevitable next summer. With the team currently sitting in 18th place, just one point away from safety, Beetz demands that they maintain their position above the relegation zone by winter.
Source: www.dpa.com
