The World's Best Village Football Club (And Why Everyone Hates Them) 

As a kid i always thought hoffenheim was a big German city because they were in the bundesliga with a large top league stadium then surprised when it was never shown on any German map because it’s tiny

At least Hopp is actually a fan of the club he owns...

Hey Alfie, I am German from the Rhein-Neckar region and your takes and perspectives on Germany are always very detailed, nuanced and accurate. Incredible how much knowledge you have, even though your not even from here. It is definitely true, that RB and Hoffenheim are both disliked, but RB by a couple orders of magnitude more. Dietmar Hopp is something like a hero in the Rhein-Neckar region. He pays for local sport clubs, charity and infrastructure, for example huge playgrounds for all generations, which are called "a la Hopp" (coming from the local dialect for let's go). He also invests a lot in medical research.

Nothing more calming and relaxing than hearing Alfie say, "So sit down, relax, and join me on a journey." 👌

To whom it may concern, the technology museum in Sinsheim is pretty nice indeed.

Alfie, I’m sure your schedule is packed, but could you possibly take a look at the new rejection by CONCACAF and CONMEBOL in rejecting a re-entry of North American clubs into Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana, while promoting international international continuity in the most recent Copa America? I know the answer is always money but I love when you cover these topics. ❤

This also speaks to my plan when I become a billionaire to balloon Marsden FC up from the Yorkshire Amateur League Championship into the UCL

Hey Alfie would appreciate you explaining what on earth is going on at Santos as they recently just got relegated for the first time in their history.

I thought they were hated because their sponsor is SAP and everyone knows how much pain in the ass one must felt when dealing with SAP.

As a German, I have no hate against 1899 or their patron Mr. Hopp. Nevertheless, it's fun as hell to visit their stadium for an away match and chant "Dietmar Hopp du Sohn einer herzensguten Frau" with the other fans of our club. Meddl Loide.

Tbh Hopp sounds like a good owner who cares about the club

I’m a local and consider myself a Hoffenheim fan from as far as I can remember. When I got into football during my time in elementary school, Hoffenheim was already a more or less established Bundesliga team and I never questioned the lack of history (well I mean, the name states the year 1899, why would a seven year old?). Of course, as I got older, I noticed that something was off with my favorite club, as virtually nobody else outside my region seemed to appreciate me being a Hoffenheim fan. I understand that Hoffenheim may be lacking history in professional level football and that an artificial rise from Sunday league to top tear football by pumping loads and loads of money into a small village club can and should be criticized. I am not a huge fan of Dietmar Hopp, but I have to credit him for his patron spendings. For example, he built twenty huge playground/fitness parks in the area each worth around 2 million euros, he funds organizations helping disabled people and invests money into several environmentalalistic projects. When it comes to football, he (and Hoffenheim) were one of the first ones to believe in women’s football, as of 2023, Hoffenheims women’s team is consistently among the top four clubs in the women’s Bundesliga. Furthermore, Hoffenheim has great youth facilities that bring up great talents that end up playing at world class level. Lastly, unlike other billionaire-owned football teams, Hoffenheim never spend outrageous sums on new players, rather focusing on a good scouting department. Those players included Firmiño, Alaba, Gnabry, Süle it Onana.

Alfie, can you make a video about What the Earth is Going On with Santos when they are going down to the second league in last match.

Despite their success story TSG 1899 Hoffenheim will always be seen as a project of SAP owner Dietmar Hopp and not representing the true spirit of football in Germany. Only RB Leipzig is more despised among German football fans, who believe that private ownership should be limited to just minority stake - hence the 50+1 rule. Though there are some loopholes that both teams have exploited - there's a provision for owners like Hopp to bypass the rule if they've invested for decades (though Hopp had transferred voting rights to the club's fans in November this year, but doubt that the perception for the club will change). RB Leipzig on the other hand has it's voting members being merely members of parent Red Bull GmbH and the membership fee is hefty. Wolfsburg and the current leader in the Bundesliga Bayer Leverkusen are the notable exceptions to the rule as they were created as factory workers' teams long before the Bundesliga is created

Once again a great video. Even as a German, I was able to learn a bit more. But the fact that at 24:19, when you explain why Hoffenheim is so hated, you took a picture of my favorite club, VfB Lübeck, and confused us with Hoppenheim, that hurt. I was briefly pleased, albeit surprised, that VfB Lübeck somehow made it into your video, but I would have preferred not to.😂 Nevertheless, great work and impressive depth with which you deal with the topic. And yes, we really don't like Hoffenheim here and only RB is even less liked. That's why I had to point out the confusion.

Fantastic look into the club and what its about. Part of my Family lives in the area and even before I knew of the Club itself, I knew who Hopp was since he financed a lot of infrastructure, like the school my cousin attended. So when my Family told me about Hoffenheim may be soon becoming a Bundesliga team, I started to get interested and am ever since. I've always had interest multiple clubs, from different leagues, but Hoffenheim is the one on top of my list, because of the close family ties I have with it. Going to the first match with my uncle when they were playing in Mannheim, talking to my aunt, grandpa and everyone else living there about it. Going to away games with my mum in the in Berlin at the Olympiastadion and the Alte Försterei. To me it's just a football club who got extremely lucky with the support of one man. But I have issues with people being so extremely hateful. It's fine and even normal to dislike them, but the way people get worked up about it is just too much drama imo. Hopp didn't help with his reaction to the hate either. It's all a bit too much kindergarden levels of dislike tbh. I'm glad you took so much time to make such an in depth video about it. Only critique I have is that I think you could structure the Video a bit more and make small pauses between topics, with a simple text over picture for example. Intro > Dietmar Hopp > the village club > ... and so on

Video Idea: The expansion of the World Cup to include 48 teams, and it's impact, for better or worse, on the sport.

As a German I hardly have anything against Hoffenheim. I totally understand everyone that dislikes them because of all the plastic money Hopp brought in. But at least Hopp has ties to the Village and the Club. RB Leipzig are only there because Red Bull, a "random" Austrian Company, wanted to expand their web of Clubs into the European Top Five. If some random wealthy Dude from Leipzig had invest in SSV Markranstädt (the Club RB bought so they immediately could start in the 5th Division, instead of the 15th or whatever our lowest level is) and had brought them to the heights of the Bundesliga I'd see them way less critical than I do with Red Bull Leipzig.

Can you please make a video on what happened to the 5 different Bundesliga champions since 2000 and contrast what happened to them and why?

I'll always have a soft spot for Hoffenheim because of Football Manager hijinks. That side with Luis Gustavo and Vedad Ibisevic etc was fun.

Being from Heidelberg, I can tell you that Dietmar Hopp isn't all too hated here 😂 To be honest, he is mostly known for his charity foundation which supports all sorts of causes in the region. I am not a Hoffenheim fan myself and understand why some people don't like them - but what's the difference to Leverkusen or Wolfsburg, who are even owned by German companies? The time gone by since? Fact is, that every big team relies on money.

From a non-German perspective I think that Hoffenheim is one of the few acceptable cases of rich investment, due to the investor having had ties with the club beforehand. It's not a foreign company, a celebrity, or an arab sheikh throwing hundreds of millions just because they can. I can understand how much these rich investors hurt football, but Hopp is a much lighter shade of black. I'd rather have that than PSG, Newcastle, Manchester City, Botafogo, Inter Miami...

Was lucky to see Hoffenheim in 2019, but I must add that Heidelberg is truly a stunning place to visit! Has a great train journey from Heidelberg to the game and had the fortune of seeing the home team win

At least to the club is run professionally and is sustainable now. Many village club elsewhere were totally abandoned once the local big shot lost interest or money after jumping 2 or 3 divisions.

Alfie, can you do one for clubs that play in areas of outstanding natural beauty, like FC Pinzgau Saalfelden in Austria?

Very well investigated! From a natural born Hoffenheimer, TSG-fan and club member who had the luck to witness this unique story. 💙

Fun fact: My old man played against Hopp and Hoffenheim in his youth. They beat them 3-2, according to his diary, which he wrote back then, not today. I also remember him making the rounds in northwestern Baden-Württemberg, trying to persuade one of the other clubs to merge, and I believe Sandhausen, who are from just south of Heidelberg, were his main target. To their credit, they stuck to their guns, although things have not been going too well for them since then. That my club loaned out their stadium to Hoffe during their first season is something I did not even realise, as I was living in the UK at that stage and only checked the Bundesliga table very occasionally. Aber was soll ich machen? Oymol Waldhof, immä Waldhof!

Great research, great insights, great video!

A video about Turkish football mismanagement can also be counted. Sensible pundits believe that Vincenzo Montella was only appointed to cover the management crisis in Turkish football, and that Stefan Kuntz’s era exposed a lot of problems. While we are having successes under Montella, we fear it is not sustainable.

I'm married to a Berliner, and one observation I've made, in my own anecdotal experience, is that not achieving yourself is not to be lauded. Self-sufficiency is. Furthermore, debt (though not exactly relevant here) is seen as a source of shame x

27:54 more like ‘No one likes us, we DO care’

Another great video. Another commenter mentioned it recently, but it'd be nice if you had a quick bibliography showing where you learned what you did for the video and where we could read more. Keep up the good work!

Love your Bundesliga videos. Greetings from Germany!

25:44 thanks Alfie for teaching me a new curse word, another one added to my curse vocab.

Just absolutely excellent content alfie. You spoil us with such great content, keep it up!!😅👏

Hey Alfie, was just thinking that you should do a video about Santos, their recent relegation and how it came to be, what on earth is going on style (knowing you you've probably started on it already, but thought i'd mention it anyway). Loving the vids Alfie !

The SAP system was so hated by users in my former engineering company that we called it Hitler's Revenge. That its founder had nazi ties doesn't surprise me.

While I don't like Hoffenheim, I do respect Dietmar Hopp. The guy uses his own money to help build his village. Like what Sadio Mane did for his village. And at least he didn't use Hoffenheim as a Marketing tool like what RB Leipzig did.

Need a scaled up picture of the Bayern Munich badge next time you say 'by in large' like you do when yo say 'anyhow' with eddie howe

You are really good at this honestly

Oh Boy, here we go. I'll just leave a comment for the algorithm and enjoy the show

What on Earth is Going on at Santos FC. The club which gave us Pele and Neymar Jr got relegated From the top flight for the first Time in their History and the fan reactions like vandalizing the car of John Stiven Mendoza, who played for Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League

140K++ views but only 4K likes? Come one guys this is an awesome video. Extremely descriptive Thank you for your work and insight on TSG hoffenheim.

LOVE this hidden side of football. ONLY ALFIE addresses this. Reminds me of the best ever radio presenter, Danny Baker! Knows not only football, but the stuff true football fans are interested in. GREAT stuff Alf. (For those too young to know, Danny Baker, along with Danny Kelly, started 606 on radio 5. Just brilliant listening.)

24:19 That slide shows a picture of my hometown team VfB Lübeck wearing unusual blue instead of green from years ago. Boy was I surprised to see them here hahahaha :D

A good videeo as always Archie! ut I have to recommend to you to take a look at Europes worst capital when it comes to football, my Norways Oslo. A Oslo club has won the league title only once in 40 seasons! And that club, Vålerenga were today relegated to the 2nd tier after losing on penalties in the play-off final against 2nd tier Kristiansund. That means that tiny KFUM (YMCA) Oslo, after their fairytale promotion this season will be Oslos only top flight team next season. With a arena that holds appx 2000, while Vålerengas Intility arena holds 16,555 KFUM even had to play their final home match of the season where they secured their promotion ... at Vålerengas stadium because their floodlights werent't deemed good enough! And KFUM's arena most likely won be accepted by the FA to hold top flight football next season. So at deep look at Oslos football misery would be highly appreciated!

As a Stutggart supporter living in Heidelberg, and for most of the Bundesliga teams in the southwest of Germany, the Sinsheim stadium is a rather convenient 18th home game.

Hopp and Hoffman running hoffenheim sounds like wario and waluigi took over Walsall

What a storied career you've had, Alfie 😛🤣 luckily, you're good at this video malarkey! X

Even GREATER achievement than Wimbledon in the 1980's. I went to a 'Combination League Cup Final' of Spurs reserves against Wimbledon in the early 70's. 20 Years later, they were in the FA Cup Final beating a fantastic Liverpool team. LOVE these stories.

Alfie i know that you are busy but could you make a video about the top 7 or so greatest managers of all time and i know it will be hardest video ever to make

This is such a great story put a smile on face

I once had a conversation about this is Bonn about 10 years ago. The fellow was adament against private ownership and how the traditional clubs weren't being represented. I asked him "Then why have relegation & promotion or a pyramid. Why not just take the 18 teams lock them in and call it a day." He told me it wouldn't be competitive and fans should get opportunities to see thier teams play in the Bundesliga. He went back to drinking his beer and Germany hasn't had anyone else win the bundesliga other than Bayern since.

Those traditional fans complaining about "plastic clubs" just taking away Bundesliga spots for traditional giants, is just the dumbest narrative ever. I mean Heidenheim, Bochum, Darmstadt, Augsburg and Mainz currently play in the Bundesliga with way fewer resources, than the giants. It is just he utter incompetence of Schalke, Hamburg and Kaiserslautern, that these clubs got surpassed by Heidenheim and Mainz. Don't ever blame anything else. The only dumber thing is Dortmunds Ultras acting as the moral instance, while their "True Love" club is actually just a stock cooperation, that has to focus on generating profits... That is, by the way, why the Borussia couldn't condemn the Superleague-conspiracy right away, because they had to ask their stockholders first. As a final prove of the absolue bigortey: When Wattenscheid 09 did the same thing, Hoffenheim does now, in the early 90s under Klaus Steilmann, no one complained. Instead everybody cried, when this traditional club went bankrupt a couple of years ago, because they just couldn't survive without their patreon. So yes, if Hoffenheim started their rise to glory 15 years earlier, no one would have had an issue with it.

We shouldnt forget from which two companies (fan groups of the companies) most of the critics came from: Munich AG and Dortmund AG. (AG=Joint stock Company). I really dont care about fans of companies who complain about another company. Edit: perhaps i should say that i am fan of one of the last real football clubs in the german professional leagues

Those former big german clubs who have been relegated like Schalke, Hertha, Hamburg or Kaiserslautern have been mismanaged for years and Hoffenheim simply showed them up. And their fans struggle to cope with that. Being a big club in the past with tradition doesn't earn the right to play first division in the present, they still have to play decent football. And if they can't even get back into the first division, getting beaten by small-town clubs like Heidenheim or Darmstadt, that just shows that Hoffenheim isn't the problem here, it is their own incompetence. As for Hoffenheim, time will show if they can stay relevant in the Bundesliga in the Post-Hopp-Era, say in 10 or 20 years. After that long, if they stay, they earned it.

Haha, I drive past that stadium all the time. If you are ever in the area, I suggest checking out that technical museum that you mentioned. You can't miss it: it's the one with a Concord and a TU-144 (the Russian copy) up on stilts. They had to put up a wall so as to keep drivers on the A-6 from gawking and getting into accidents, but you can still see them from the Autobahn though. It's probably better that the team didn't relocate to Heidelberg, it's full of yuppies that don't care about the Bundesliga..

Great Video!!! Would be interesting to dive into why a country like South Africa - with its massive love of football, a World Cup, and a keen footballing population, has a horrendous league, no international stars, and the National Team sucks…BAD

You must be in Cherry Burton. Have cycled through there a few times. I live up the road, on the coast.

This club gave us the brilliance that is Roberto Firmino. I’m thankful for that.

Typical German football fan hypocrisy... A VERY local boy made good buys and financially supports a team he both life-long supported AND played for as a lad, and that's an outrage apparently! But Adidas, Allianz and Audi's combined 25% corporate ownership of Bayern is given an almost total free ride by the majority of German supporters, who by a strange coincidence are one team majority (near 23% surveyed in 2020) Bayern supporters... Hmmm. 🤔

Cool i from east yorkshire as well cool. Great videos

I distinctly remember sitting in class and having the teacher chant „Hoffenheim, Hoffenheim“ when they first joined the Bundesliga and beat the local club Borussia Dortmund the day before. The class did NOT like that 😂

Video on the Munich Rovers 1489 title charge please

The Rhein-Neckar Landkreis (county) is the biggest county in the whole of Germany with > 500.000 citizen...so to say "it's just a little village" when Leverkusen also has just ~ 50.000 citizen is completly unfair..

That's barely bigger than the village where I live in western Ireland and my local football team has only played at junior level at best its incredible how a place so small could have a top flight team in the German Bundesliga how is that even possible

Alfie, do you plan on making a video on Ipswich? The possible back to back promotions from the face of relative League 1 obscurity is, for the most part thanks to the wonderful work of the manager but surely the club itself has some interesting angles to look at regarding this momentum in form. Love from California.

I get the criticism from the Germans but, I would much rather have a club like Hoffenheim doing well in the league rather than a club that’s been bought by American investors like Wrexham. Hopp is a die hard Hoffenheim fan and has done everything he could to make it a successful club. I’m not sure what the majority of clubs are like in Germany, but I’m sure a lot of them have at some point been owned by rich foreign investors, so why does Hopp get all the hate? As said in the video, Tony Bloom gets commended for the same thing here in England. There is a massive contrast difference in a Bloom/Hopp owner compared to a foreign owner.

I'd say the closest we've got to that in England is currently Fleetwood Town who has only existed in their current form since 1995 when the team Fleetwood Freeport folded, the team then went from the North West counties league to league one.

Hey mate make a video on The Rise & Fall of Santos FC . As they got relegeted for the very first time in 111 years

Still managed to lose against Molde in the Europa League R16 in the 20/21 season, were both matches were played in Germany due to strict corona restricts in Norway, another village team. And hey Solskjær and Haaland are former Molde players. +++.

I say out of all the major cities in Europe Berlin is one that doesn't have a football powerhouse in its own country just to five the other end of the scale in German football

25:09 talking about this topic the Regionalliga Nordost (one of 4 german 4th divisions) has the same amount of former german champions as the Bundesliga! The main Reason being more political then sporting, with the reunification of Germany leading to a big systamtic change in the Sport for the East German Clubs. Which were so destructive till this day east German clubs are in a big deficit.

THANK YOU

Hoffenheim 💙🤍 such a special football club.

I will now pull for Hoffenheim.

I was so confused when I was living in Germany for a year and I went to Hoffenheim. It literally said Hoffenheim Village and I thought I was in the wrong place. It’s so tiny.

I find it the German perspective a bit strange. My hometown is very poorly managed and we dont do well and lack critical infrastructure as well as we could use a new stadium. If i ever became rich my dream would be to buy the club and invest in it like Dietmar Hopp did w/ Hoffenheim. isnt that everyones dream?

I'm german and i know many other germas would hate me for my opinion but as long as the investor isn't a sheikh, a investor can't make me hate a club

My old club played there until I was 19

Money didn't save Hamburg, Hertha BSC Berlin, Schalke... Beside money you need a good management. Tradition only means a club was successful in the past. Most of these clubs were set in when Bundesliga was founded.

Expected a Robbie Fowler pic after the white lines remark

Hoffenheim is one of my favourite respective German teams ever and I knew them during the 2000's and they have been progressing well despite a few downfalls ever since they were promoted during the 2007/2008 season,good friends!!!I am fully hoping for them to keep working hard and smart step by step till they would get their chance to challenge for the major honours despite they are sadly one of the most hated teams in Germany,good friends!!!LONG LIVE HOFFENHEIM!!!🏋‍♂️🏋‍♂️🏋‍♂️🏋‍♂️🏋‍♂️🏋‍♂️🏋‍♂️🏋‍♂️🏋‍♂️🏋‍♂️🏋‍♂️

I have no problem with Hopp and Hoffenheim at all. I also dont have a problem with RB Leipzig. I think Hopp is a great counter example to oligarchs, sheiks and american franchise collectors. He always was connected to the club, it was a steady support that grew with his own success, he laid solid foundations, does a lot for education and talent etc. etc.. He didnt bought a small club and hired stars for 2 billion dollars in order to win titles. Same with Leipzig. For 2 decades, people were mad that there was no competitive club in east germany. No infrastructure, no modern facilities, noone with money to step in. Now, everyone is mad too but by everything you can measure and judge in an objective way, RB is doing an amazing job there! I mean I dont need more Hoffenheims and Leipzigs, but for me, they are at least in the grey area of investors I can accept. you also must allow new traditions to grow and I dont think that a bad managed shit show club deserves the spot more because there is a tradition going on.

‘World’s Best Village Football Club’ and it’s not about Ross County? For shame, mate, for shame. 🦌💪

Scotland have Ross County, based in Dingwall, the stadium can hold more than the population of the town (town by Scottish standards is a village by German, or English standards) population of Dingwall 5.5 k, but with a catchment area around the same size as Belgium, though there are less than 15k people in that area

If you are really think about it.... He did what everyone of us would did, invest in OUR Club from the village ang get them as high as possible

I want to know your village now as I'm east Yorkshire up the goole town lol

i don’t want to sound weird but what’s the local club? it sounds like a great idea for a FM save

3:37 I’m really sick of people using someone’s family connections to bad people as a smear against them. As if this guy has any control over who his father was or his support for a horrible regime, nobody chooses their parents and using it as a character assassination to besmirch someone who hasn’t actually done anything themself to associate with n*zis is completely unfair. I expect better from you Alfie you’re usually much more reasonable in your criticisms of corrupt and evil people for their OWN actions not their family they just happened to be related to by accident

Damn it’s the 3rd of the size of the village I live in not far from Alfie in the ER of Yorkshire

Im English, maybe I dont understand but I quite like this story. I wouldnt be pissed at Hoffenheim, my Germam team Schalke would probably like their spot but the real baddies in the German league is Bayern Munich. They buy everybodies decent players.

As a German, I abolutely dislike them, as this village has no place being in the Bundeslia, having been artificially put there and taking up a space of a deserving traditional club.

Considering that the last attendance on Friday evening against my love Bochum was 16,500 (with 1,300 to 1,700 on the away end) I would say the support is already fading. However, this can also be a "Momentaufnahme" (picture of the moment). As a sidenote, I remember quite well that Hoffenheim (or Hoppenheim as it is called every now and then) and Bochum competed for the services of Mr. Demba Ba and Hoffenheim paid double the figure that Bochum could pay. Even though Hoffenheim played yet second division football and Bochum Bundesliga.

So with this and the recent Leverkusen video there are decent chances we get a video on the team from the city founded as "Stadt des KDF Wagens bei Fallerlsleben" soon.

If Alfie ever does a top 7 overperforming teams by population i am hoping Loughall get atleast an honourable mention

I don’t understand the hate towards Hopp. He at least played for the club and is a lifelong supporter. Look at England for example, clubs are owned by random Asian or American rich men which, let’s face it, probably never been fans of the teams they own. Let’s be serious, doubt anyone believes a random Asian guy was a Accrington Stanley fan. And this Hoff situation is not even remotely comparable to RB Leipzig, that was taken over by Red Bull for commercial purposes, the owner is (or was, dead now) Austrian. I applaud mr. Hopp.

14:48 i already visit this museum btw

People really absolutely hate clubs like Hoffenheim. Only Leipzig is more disliked. Germans don't really hold much love for Wolfsburg (and sometimes even Leverkusen) for basically being just corporation football teams.

Why Hopp is so hated is beyond me, because he is not a tycoon big guy a**hole. He's a humble old dude who wanted his hometown club in the first league. Without stupid amounts of money, he just wanted to help them get going. He could have spent like Abrahmovic (The guy owns SAP), but didn't. The focus was on developing good young players and also getting good young players from abroad for small money. What is bad about that? Jealousy. Dortmund have been sucking for a decade now, even though getting these ridiculous transfer fees for Aubameyang, Sancho, Bellingham,... and instead of getting their sh*t together and improving, they whine instead. The refs, RB, the media, Hoffenheim, bad luck... Same goes for many other traditional clubs (many of which are not in the league anymore). They were told so often how great they are that they believed it themselves and forgot to put in the effort. That's why they hate Hopp. He put in a lot less money and was a lot more successfull. With a lot of effort. Oh, and great video, of course ;-)