Southampton sporting director Spors on 50+1: "I'm actually a big fan of that"

Already worked in Germany, Italy, France and now in England: Johannes Spors IMAGO/Shutterstock

Johannes Spors has traveled extensively in the world of football. In Germany, he worked for TSG Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig, and HSV, and abroad, he was responsible for clubs in Italy, Belgium, Australia, France, and the Netherlands, among others. As Global Sports Director of the sports investment firm 777 Partners, he managed six clubs simultaneously at times.

In February of this year, he switched clubs – and companies: "Sport Republic" is the name of his new employer. His portfolio includes Premier League relegated Southampton FC and French third-division club Valenciennes FC. If the 50+1 rule applied by the DFB and DFL were to apply in the global football business, such multi-club ownerships would not be possible. Nevertheless, Spors does not fundamentally reject them.

How does a player transfer work, Johannes Spors?

Johannes Spors has worked in Arnhem and Genoa, and is now technical director at Southampton and at the sports investment firm Sport Republic. He talks to your hosts Matthias and Mario about transfers: How do you acquire players, how do you plan a squad? And what are the benefits of multi-club ownership? All this and more – now in the new episode!

3 hours ago 01:05:21 hours

"It's important that there are different models," says the 42-year-old in a conversation with KMD hosts Mario Krischel and Matthias Dersch. The investor model, according to Spors, is just as much a part of it as the more "traditional" approach in Germany. In any case, opinions on investors vary from country to country. "I've traveled extensively in various countries, and the discussion there is completely different: Investors are bashed if they don't provide enough money," he explains.

Spors is also a supporter of the unique rule from a social perspective: "It's a democratic way of expressing oneself – I'm actually a big fan of that." The rule isn't just part of German football, but "defines German football culture," Spors says – adding, however, "I think it's also important to understand that other football cultures view it differently."

Johannes Spors discusses the advantages of multi-club ownership, how transfers are actually handled, and much more in the new episode of "kicker meets DAZN." The podcast is available on the kicker website and apps, the DAZN Group portals, and all common podcast platforms, including Spotify , Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Amazon Music , Deezer , and Podimo .