What is 100 million euros? Based on Tuesday’s breaking news, the meaning can vary somewhat, even if it’s the same industry. Conference League winners West Ham United, for example, are said to have only been worth a tired smile for the equivalent of 104.6 million euros that Champions League winners Manchester City offered as a fee for 24-year-old midfielder Declan Rice.
The Londoners know only too well that City needs a replacement for Ilkay Gündogan, who has moved to Barcelona. And they know even more that their colleagues have a lot of money at their disposal if it is necessary. So it should be around 116 million euros – the poker is on and Bayern, who were also interested in Rice, have since dropped out.
Swabian and humble
So 100 million euros can be a run-through sum or a first offer – or also a big historical day, a departure to better times. Porsche gets involved with VfB Stuttgart without the Swabians losing their previous main sponsor, Mercedes-Benz, as their anchor investor. Porsche will take over shares in the outsourced professional department like Mercedes Benz did (2017), said Alexander Wehrle, the VfB CEO, visibly enthusiastic.
Five percent are planned for this summer, and another tranche is to follow within the next twelve months. The entire package, including several sponsorship packages and the naming rights to the arena, which the Porsche subsidiary MHP is taking over, should amount to 100 million. Wehrle said that the money would be dealt with in a Swabian and humble manner.
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For good reasons. In 2017, Mercedes flushed 41.5 million euros into the coffers with the share purchase and was convinced that VfB “will soon be celebrating great sporting successes again”. Didn’t quite work out: VfB were relegated in 2019, saved themselves once on the last day of the game in the past two years after being promoted again in 2020 and most recently in the relegation. 100 million does not automatically go far up. And you don’t even have to remember Hertha BSC.