Citing health concerns and ‘immense stress’, Hoffenheim President Jörg Albrecht resigns | OneFootball

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, club chairman, president, and co-owner Jörg Albrecht has resigned all of his positions with immediate effect. The former mayor of Sinsheim has known to be in poor health for some time. Albrecht has been diagnosed with long-term ALS, though the slow progression of the 58-year-old’s diagnosis might have enabled him to continue in his administrative capacities for longer. 

Albrecht confirmed his departure via a statement released from a vacation home in Spain. While citing his health as the primary reason for leaving, Albrecht referenced the “immense stress” associated with the recent major personnel upheaval in the Bundesliga club’s front office. Albrecht was named club President in September 2024, ten months after Hoffenheim was officially restored to 50+1 status by the DFL in November 2023.

“I regret that I have to give up the position that I accepted and performed with great passion and commitment,” Albrecht noted in his statement. “However, in recent weeks, I have reached my health limits, not least because of the immense stress. Therefore, this step is logical and necessary, even though it is extremely difficult for me.”

Hoffenheim board members Christoph Henssler and Frank Engelhardt will jointly take over Albrecht’s duties on an interim basis. Things look to continue to prove rocky at Hoffenheim as the club must convene a special session in a few weeks to elect new leadership. While the sporting prospects of the club continue to conform with high pre-season expectations, the state of club management remains highly unstable. 

GGFN is pleased to supply some context to this news. 

How does this relate to the TSG power struggle?

Obviously, Albrecht’s health is no way related to the power struggle between club officials and controversial Dietmar Hopp confidant Roger Wittmann. While there remains more than enough hard evidence that club administrators Frank Briel and Dr. Markus Schütz were removed because they opposed Hopp in the case of Wittmann, the mere notion that Hopp and Wittmann counted on removing two strong figures and a “sick man” counts as a terrible insinuation that not even Hopp’s biggest detractors would care to make,. 

No conspiracy theories should be proffered here. Albrecht was not pressured to resign deliberately by Hopp or anyone else. The goings-on at Hoffenheim do nevertheless remain relevant in that Albrecht (as revealed in club’s recent legal proceedings against Wittmann) was one of the club figures verbally attacked by the controversial agent. Kicker confirms reports that Albrecht was recently part of a club sit down with Hopp, Wittmann, and club sporting director Andreas Schicker last Monday. 

Per the Kicker report, Albrecht found himself unexpectedly face-to-face with Wittmann – a man who called him a “Wichser” (English translation “wanker”, American translation “motherfucker”) – at the meeting. Albrecht’s reference to “immense stress” surely, at least in part, refers to this meeting. While it must again be emphasized that Hopp cannot be accused of deliberately attempting to force Albrecht out, it should also be emphasized that another member of the anti-Wittmann faction is now gone from the club. 

Is there anyone left in the front office to oppose Wittmann?

In point of fact, one of the board members tasked with helping the club on an interim basis (Henssler) is a former TSG ultra from the Kurve. Whether Henssler retains his connection to the fan-scene remains unclear. One thing that one can certainly count on is a great ruckus during the forthcoming leadership elections. The club members who currently oppose Wittmann have voting rights under the 50+1 statutes and will be given time to speak. 

Wittmann himself (through his attorneys) has vowed to take legal action (against whom precisely one doesn’t yet know) after the protests at the Bundesliga match last Saturday. Probably the best legal recourse has at this juncture concerns the fact that cameras did catch some Hoffenheim supporters holding up Wittmann’s image in rifle cross-hairs. This could be construed as unprotected violent hate speech. 

What does this mean for Christian Ilzer and Andreas Schicker?

Hoffenheim sporting director Schicker is being openly courted by RB Salzburg in his native Austria. At present, however, Hoffenheim are counting on their sporting director to take a larger role in club affairs. Henssler and Engelhardt even specifically referenced their reliance on Schicker in their official introductory club statement. 

Schicker’s next move shall prove most interesting. One honestly wonders whether Schicker considers this newfound responsibility to be an exiting opportunity or unwanted burden. It is worth noting that Schicker was among those compelled to testify against Wittmann in the recent Heidelberg regional court proceedings. This could conceivably leave the 39-year-old feeling caught in the middle of an undesirable conflict.

Should Schicker leave, Ilzer may end up feeling isolated without his former Sturm Graz colleague. Schicker was responsible for bringing Ilzer in one month after his own appointment in October 2024. Ilzer evaded questions about the protest movement when speaking to Sky Germany prior to kick-off during Saturday’s Bundesliga match against RB Leipzig. 

“We’re a ship on the high seas,” Ilzer told Sky. “If the shipping company changes, that’s not our concern. Our job is to keep the ship afloat.“

GGFN | Peter Weis