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HSV President Marcell Jansen
Photo: Daniel Reinhardt / dpa
Marcell Jansen, former national player and now President of HSV, is a perfect example of how football professionals take advantage of compensation from the statutory accident insurance, which was originally not created for professional athletes.
Any injury suffered by a professional while on duty is considered an accident at work, as is the case with normal workers. However, table football, handball or ice hockey players tend to tear a ligament or break a bone much more often than a bank employee, postman or journalist. According to the SPIEGEL article on the welfare system, Jansen suffered four injuries that were so serious that he was entitled to several lifelong pensions or several hundred thousand euros in compensation - tax-free. The fact that he earned millions as a kicker is not relevant for the compensation.
Jansen is actually considered an open-minded guy, but he didn't want to talk to SPIEGEL about this additional income. He felt differently with users on Facebook and Instagram, who criticized him after the report and asked whether he was a "social parasite". Jansen bullied you as an "angry citizen" and pointed out that he had always shared his salary with the tax authorities in a "brotherly" manner. The sports clubs eventually paid insurance coverage, he wrote. So it is not his "mom, who worked 35 years at Aldi in the camp", who has to pay for his compensation, "but the clubs for which the bones were held out!"
Jansen is right, clubs like HSV pay up to two million a year to the employers' liability insurance association. The expenses are of course so high that the professional leagues would prefer to abolish the insurance system in its current form. Nevertheless, the income from sports is not enough to cover the huge expenses for all injured sports professionals. Therefore, 40 million euros per year have to be injected into other sectors, such as the churches or temporary employment agencies that employ warehouse workers.
Unlike Jansen, Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil, SPD, was convinced that things could not go on like this. After the article appeared, his ministry convened representatives from sports associations, employers 'liability insurance associations and players' unions to discuss reform. Since then, the experts have met in different working groups, calculated contribution rates, and passed laws.
The responsible trade association is now working on a special accident prevention regulation for sport, and it is also discussed to reduce the compensation claims of the athletes.
There is a dispute between sports officials and insurance representatives over the proposal to exclude amateur athletes who receive less than 520 euros per month from compulsory insurance.
Sport is in favor of such a move, but insurance is against it.
They fear that low-wage earners in other industries will also lose their protection.
They would prefer top earners like Jansen to their wallets.
A decision will be made in spring at the earliest.
