Ehe are emotional moments that Jörg Krick is currently experiencing. In 2015, the maker of United Volleys founded the professional volleyball team to give his son Tobias and other German talents the chance to develop to the top level in the Bundesliga. Even after the middle blocker left for Italy in 2020, the father had kept the sportingly successful project alive with his grants, but made the plan to form a group of shareholders to ensure its existence in the long term.
A year later, only the aviation entrepreneur Alexander Korosek, who was already involved in Frankfurt football, was willing to invest a larger sum in volleyball. Otherwise, says Krick, he would have switched off the light in the winter sports hall training center right after the Hessians triumphed in the DVV Cup final.
Korosek shows no understanding
Krick cites the pandemic and the current world situation, the insufficient help from the city, but also his own failure to find enough partners despite great creativity to ensure volleyball at the top level in the long term as reasons for the end of the project now apparently imminent. The league (VBL) has not yet publicly announced the withdrawal of the license, and managing director Daniel Sattler still does not confirm a corresponding decision by the responsible committee this week.
But Korosek said he was informed on Tuesday. The United shareholder did not show any understanding. There was a written agreement with the league about a July 11 deadline. Until then, the volleys should submit the missing evidence of their profitability in the course of the licensing process, which, according to Sattler, should actually have been due in mid-May. At that point, clubs should reserve 25 per cent of their budget for the next season. “People probably thought that we wouldn’t be able to do it anyway,” Korosek suspects. He will have the legal situation checked.
The players have a problem
No matter how it ends: there were already many indications beforehand that there could be no more first division season for Frankfurt. Korosek himself put the chances of that at 50 percent in mid-June. According to his own statements, his hope was to be able to win one of two possible sponsors with whom he was in talks. He would have to invest 200,000 to 250,000 euros in order to be able to play in the Bundesliga despite the austerity measures that have already been initiated.
Korosek does not want to give up the negotiations just yet. The league verdict, although not officially delivered by Wednesday afternoon, did not simplify it. The players in particular now have a problem. If everything goes as feared, they will be without contracts three months before the start of the season and have turned down other attractive commitments in order to go online for United and under the highly esteemed head coach Christophe Acht.
Last season, the Corona aid had helped the Volleys over the highest financial hurdles. Players and coaches were paid regularly, other employees and service providers are said to be waiting for larger sums. Fans who bought tickets for games during the pandemic that were not played at all or without spectators are said to have not yet received any refunds.
Krick and Korosek explain this by saying that a larger sum from the state arrived very late. Last season ended with a zero. Even if things don’t go on in the Bundesliga, “there will be no bankruptcy,” emphasizes Korosek. Everyone will get their outstanding money. The GmbH should definitely continue to exist. “Maybe,” says Krick, “it’ll be dormant for a few years.” If the Dome, with which the Volleys have a pre-contract with planners, is built, United could be resurrected. But these are dreams of the future. The volleys are still fighting for their presence.
