Instead of football, there will also be American football in the Unterhachinger Sportpark from June for the first time: the municipality, SpVgg Unterhaching and Munich Ravens have agreed on a dual use of the stadium.
Unterhaching
- The Unterhachinger Sportpark, previously used purely as a football stadium, will now also be used as an American football venue for the first time for four months: From the beginning of June to the end of September, the Munich Ravens will play a maximum of eight home games in the European League of Football in the Sportpark.
Three contracts were signed in the Unterhaching town hall on Friday.
From August at the latest, when the football season starts again, the stadium will be used twice.
SpVgg Unterhaching, which as the leader of the Bavarian regional league could be promoted to the 3rd division, was terminated by the municipality in March of the stadium lease agreement because the football club had tried without permission to sublet the stadium to the footballers via its Haching Sportpark GmbH (we reported).
Legally, a contractual structure has now been found that all three parties can live with.
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Signing of the contract in the town hall: (from left) SpVgg Vice President Peter Wagstyl, Mayor Wolfgang Panzer and Sebastian Stolz, General Manager of the Munich Ravens.
© Municipality of Unterhaching
The new constellation provides that SpVgg Unterhaching will remain the lessee of the stadium via its Sportpark GmbH;
the new lease agreement with almost unchanged conditions is initially valid for one year.
This ensures that the SpVgg can apply for a license for the 3rd football league in the event of promotion.
The footballers of the Munich Ravens, in turn, are given the stadium by the municipality as “special users” for individual home game days;
in the Europa League, the league games are already scheduled for six Sundays (June 4; July 2, 16 and 30; August 20; September 3).
If the Munich Ravens qualify for the playoffs, there will be two more games in September.
The long-term future of the stadium is being quietly negotiated
Contract number three stipulates that the SpVgg Unterhaching, as the tenant, ensures that the football games run smoothly and that the municipality “supports both sports organizations to the best of their ability”, as stated in a press release from the town hall.
The contracts expressly do not affect the long-term future of the Unterhachinger Sportpark, for which the SpVgg has been interested in purchasing for years and had originally agreed with the municipality on a purchase price of 3.4 million euros.
A commission made up of all the faction leaders of the municipal council, together with Mayor Wolfgang Panzer, is to conduct the negotiations promptly, but without time pressure.
"This clears the way for the joint use of the sports park," says the head of the town hall.
“Unterhaching has long been known for its high-class sports facilities.
I am very happy that American football is now part of it.”
Sebastian Stolz, manager of the Munich Ravens, sees it the same way: "We are happy to be able to play our home games in our first season in the European League of Football at the Sportpark Unterhaching.
American football is booming and we are proud to be able to represent all of Bavaria in the top European division in this traditional stadium.
We look forward to continuing to work closely with SpVgg Unterhaching and the community.”
SpVgg sees the Ravens upgrading the stadium
The vice-president of SpVgg Unterhaching, Peter Wagstyl, sees “added value for the municipality, the region and the gaming association” in the dual use.
The game operations in football are only minimally affected, since “the location is used by the Munich Ravens, especially during the football summer break, and is thus upgraded”.
The football official is looking forward to football: "As a trend sport with peaceful fans, a family environment and the event character, the cooperation with the Ravens fits perfectly with the values of the game association."
Whether and how things will continue in 2024 will become clear after the end of the football season in September.
"Then we take stock of whether the calculation works out that American football fits Unterhaching," says City Hall spokesman Simon Hötzl.
In general, he sees “the prelude to a good partnership”.