The shareholders of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim Fußball-Spielbetriebs GmbH have unanimously decided to relieve Alexander Rosen of his duties as managing director of sport with immediate effect.
Denni Strich, who as managing director is responsible for sales, distribution, communications and eSports, has asked the shareholders to terminate his contract with effect from 31 October of this year.
Prof. Dr Jan Mayer will relinquish his management positions at Spielbetriebs-GmbH on 31 October in order to focus even more intensively on the expansion of TSG ResearchLab, which he founded in 2019 and has been enormously successful since then. He will also be responsible for driving forward the key areas of innovation, science and internationalisation.
“Alexander Rosen has shaped an era at TSG Hoffenheim. We would like to thank him for his commitment and the developments that he has initiated and been responsible for at TSG. For this very reason, we wrestled with ourselves for a long time before making this difficult decision. After intensive analysis, however, we have come to the conclusion, particularly in view of the past few weeks, that we need a change in the club’s sporting management after more than eleven years,’ said Simone Engelhardt, who represents the majority shareholder as interim chairwoman of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim e.V.
“In the end, our views on the future direction were too different, also in view of the upcoming season, in which TSG will once again play internationally and compete in the Europa League,’ added Engelhardt.
“Jan Mayer and Denni Strich approached us in recent weeks in order to jointly push for a solution to reorganise the business. We are very grateful to both of them for taking the initiative,” said Engelhardt, explaining the background to the development.
“As managing directors of Spielbetriebs-GmbH, the academy and Reha GmbH, it was ultimately impossible to fulfil the increasingly intensive tasks,” says Jan Mayer, adding: “The past three years have been hugely exciting, but also very challenging in working across various roles. I’m looking forward to being able to focus again and thank you for the trust you continue to place in me,” says Mayer.
Denni Strich attributes his decision primarily to personal reasons: “After intensive and sometimes gruelling years, during which the Coronavirus pandemic in particular presented an unprecedented challenge for sales and sponsorship, I am now looking forward to being able to look after my family for the time being,” says Strich, who would like to thank the shareholders for the “trust they have placed in me over the past few years and the amicable solution that has been found”. It is also important to him to thank the many partners who support the club. “The collaboration was always inspiring, fair and ultimately successful for TSG – that’s what it’s all about.”
Alexander Rosen joined TSG Hoffenheim in November 2011 and, as the former head of the academy, placed great importance on the development and integration of talent both on and off the pitch. During his tenure as director of professional football (from 1 April 2013) and then managing director of sport (since July 2023), the club qualified for European competition on four occasions.
Strich joined TSG as sales director in February 2020 and was appointed managing director five months later.
Technical director Bastian Huber will also be leaving TSG.
“The club is so well staffed across the board that all the upcoming tasks can initially be dealt with internally and successfully managed,’ explains TSG chairwoman Simone Engelhardt.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim Fußball-Spielbetriebs GmbH is managed by Dr Markus Schütz. The lawyer was appointed chairman of the board of management by the shareholders on 8 July of this year.