Giovanni Jemma, 54, a former professional boxer, is an interesting personality. At the sight of the motivation coach, who is involved in the training camp of the third division soccer team TSV 1860 Munich, one would expect to get a smack on the head. But in one of his many Tiktok videos, he spoke rather peacefully to the lion community: “The focus is to always think that there is progress, to stay healthy and to leave everyone as they are. Focus, focus, focus! I wish God’s blessings and God’s strength to all of you and thank you that we exist – all people.”
Things got less philosophical on the training ground. Jemma, who has previously worked with and is friends with head coach Maurizio Jacobacci in Switzerland, kept shouting “Ay, ay, ay” and the players roared: “We’re the lions!”
Of course, the question these days is more: Who is TSV 1860 Munich – and if so, how many?
For example, in the absence of a sports director, who actually decided to hand over right-back Christopher Lannert to league rivals Arminia Bielefeld? Of course, the initiative will have come from Coach Jacobacci, and the change will be handled by Finance Director Marc-Nicolai Pfeifer, but in between someone should have checked whether Jacobacci’s request was okay. Chief scout Jürgen Jung and junior manager Manfred Paula should be involved, but do not appear in public.
Investor representative and supervisory board chairman Saki Stimoniaris did that instead, and emphasized that he obviously didn’t want to be a sports director in order to then take on the tasks of a sports director: He reported on an increase in the budget by 500,000 euros, planned further commitments and seasonal goals. At his side sat Anthony Power, also deputy of investor Hasan Ismaik; Power has also denied wanting to be a sports director. In fact, Stimoniaris, Power and Jacobacci seem to be acting at Sixty at the moment.
While the investor representatives are present, the other shareholder, the eV, has gone underground. President Robert Reisinger is engrossed in his work as a management consultant and seems tired of his job – which may also have to do with the fact that his warnings that the position of sports director should be filled immediately after Günther Gorenzel resigns were not heard. And his deputy Hans Sitzberger, who stayed at the training camp for at least a while, hardly appears in public.
Siebrecht, Lex, Heldt? There are enough candidates for the post of sports director
It would be the eV that could play a decisive role in the search for a new sports director. He is hired by the remaining managing director Pfeifer – but the eV could propose him or even appoint him by means of 50+1. There are enough interested parties, how quickly it goes depends on the extent to which Pfeifer relies on the consent of both partners – eV and Ismaik – or at least one side. A possible candidate is Lutz Siebrecht, 55, with whom Pfeifer already worked at the Stuttgarter Kickers and who was team manager at Lokomotiv Moscow until March 2022. But a cheap internal solution with Stefan Lex, 33, who ended his playing career and has a follow-up contract for an as yet unspecified position in the KGaA, is still under discussion. Bigger names are also being talked about, most recently champion lion beat Fredi Heiss in the Evening News Horst Heldt, 53, who was traded a long time ago.
The general meeting is on Sunday; then the presidium will be able or have to explain the personnel situation of professional football KGaA. Shortly before this meeting, investor Hasan Ismaik spoke up again. “For 12 years, I have had the impression that directors are deliberately chosen who are loyal and obedient to the association, but whose CV does not allow the company to advance,” he complained. This is irritating given that Pfeifer maintains good contact with investor representatives. Ismaik also had a message for his opponents at the club: “The only goal is to tire me out and get rid of me. Nobody will be able to do that.”