TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, commonly known as Hoffenheim, are a German professional football club based in Sinsheim, Baden-Württemberg. The club’s full name, Turn- und Sportgemeinschaft 1899 Hoffenheim e.V., reflects its origins as a gymnastics club founded on July 1, 1899. The football department emerged in 1945, and for decades the team competed in obscurity, bouncing around the lower divisions of German football.

The club’s fortunes changed dramatically in the early 2000s when Dietmar Hopp, a software entrepreneur and former youth player who co-founded SAP, began investing heavily. From the fifth tier in 2000, Hoffenheim climbed the league ladder with startling speed, reaching the Bundesliga for the first time in 2008. Their rapid rise earned them the nickname "village club," but their ambitions were anything but small-town. In the 2017-18 season, they finished third in the Bundesliga, their best-ever result, and qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time.

Since 2009, the club has played its home matches at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena, now known as the PreZero Arena for sponsorship reasons, a modern 30,150-seat stadium that replaced the modest Dietmar-Hopp-Stadion. Despite never winning a major trophy, Hoffenheim have established themselves as a consistent Bundesliga presence, known for developing young talent and playing attractive, attacking football. [edit]

Founded in 1899 as a gymnastics club, Hoffenheim’s football section took shape after World War II, but the team spent most of the 20th century in the lower amateur leagues. The turning point came in the early 2000s when Dietmar Hopp, a former youth player who co-founded SAP, began bankrolling the club. With his investment, Hoffenheim won consecutive promotions: from the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg to the Regionalliga in 2001, then to the 2. Bundesliga in 2007, and finally to the Bundesliga in 2008.

The club’s first top-flight season made headlines as they topped the table at the winter break, with coach Ralf Rangnick and stars like Vedad Ibišević and Demba Ba. Though they faded to seventh, the "village club" had arrived. Under Julian Nagelsmann, who took over in 2016 at just 28, Hoffenheim finished fourth in 2016-17 and third in 2017-18, securing their first Champions League appearance. Nagelsmann’s tactical innovations and knack for developing young players, including Niklas Süle and Timo Werner, became a blueprint for the club.

Since then, Hoffenheim have remained a mid-table Bundesliga side, occasionally qualifying for European competitions. They reached the Europa League group stage in 2017-18 and 2020-21, but have never progressed deep into the tournament. Off the pitch, the club runs a renowned youth academy, the Dietmar-Hopp-Akademie, and has partnered with local businesses to build a sustainable model. In August 2026, they played a pre-season friendly against Tottenham Hotspur, losing 3-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Mikey Moore scoring twice. [edit]