Bundesliga club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim has parted ways with managing directors Markus Schütz and Frank Briel. The decision escalates the dispute over player agent Roger Wittmann. The club initially did not confirm the reports.
According to reports from the «Bild» newspaper and the specialist magazine «Kicker», TSG 1899 Hoffenheim has parted ways with managing directors Markus Schütz (60) and Frank Briel (50). The club initially did not confirm this when asked. The separation marks a new escalation in the conflict over player agent Roger Wittmann (65), who is considered a confidant of patron Dietmar Hopp (85).
Under Schütz's leadership as chairman of the executive board, the club had imposed a stadium and house ban on Wittmann and another agent from the Rogon agency, and prohibited the use of the box rented by Rogon. Wittmann's influence was viewed negatively not only by Schütz and Briel but also by many fans. Hopp criticized the measures against his friend. In September, the Heidelberg Regional Court partially lifted these bans.
Hopp holds 49 percent of the professional department, while the club, chaired by Jörg Albrecht, owns 51 percent. Interim, sports managing director Andreas Schicker (39) and marketing managing director Tim Jost (39) will handle football operations. Schicker's stay is uncertain; rumors suggest a move to RB Salzburg. He joined from Sturm Graz in October 2024 and soon after brought coach Christian Ilzer to Hoffenheim. After a difficult previous season, the club is sixth in the Bundesliga after nine games.