The Unsung Heroes Behind the UEFA Champions League: Klaus Hempel and Jürgen Lenz
Two Germans reshaped the global soccer landscape - Two Germans Transformed Global Soccer Landscape
Having a hard time recognizing the faces behind one of the world's largest annual sporting events? Meet Klaus Hempel and Jürgen Lenz, the unlikely duo who turned their professional crisis in the '90s into the creation of a billion-dollar business. The ZDF film, "Trophy Men - The Invention of the UEFA Champions League," sheds light on their unheralded tale and presents an intriguing question: Did the Champions League save football, or did it deliver it to commercialism?
Jobless Sports Marketers with a Vision
The narrative starts at the end, as a paradox. After losing their jobs as sports marketers, Klaus Hempel and Jürgen Lenz found themselves without a clear direction. But instead of succumbing to defeat, they channeled their energy into a radical vision that would revolutionize European football. Their idea: to replace the traditional European Cup of Champions with a competition that would become a spectacular international event.
Reflecting on the early days, Jürgen Lenz shares, "Football definitely didn't know what it was worth." Aware of the potential hidden within a sport that had captivated millions but remained undervalued, the duo's response was groundbreaking: the Champions League, complete with an iconic logo, beloved anthem, and a novel, globally marketable format.
From Sketch to Global Phenomenon - Success with Consequences
The development of the Champions League was a rocky road. Hempel and Lenz had to confront established structures and convince skeptics in broadcasting, clubs, and UEFA. As sports journalist Christoph Biermann explains, "It was a historic moment for European football when they invented the Champions League. They turned a football competition into a commodity that could be traded and sold."
The TV profile "Trophy Men" chronicles the journey of this influential sporting event using exclusive interviews and previously unreleased material. Experts such as Marcel Reif, Claudia Neumann, Tommi Schmitt, and others discuss the sporting and social significance of the Champions League while sharing their most fascinating moments from this esteemed competition and reminiscing about iconic victories like Borussia Dortmund's in 1997 or FC Bayern Munich's in 2001.
But success never comes without its costs. The documentary tackles the darker side of progress: the increasing commercialization, the major structural issues plaguing modern football, and the dramatic events surrounding the "Heysel disaster" (a chaotic incident resulting in 39 deaths) on May 29, 1985, in Brussels, which almost halted international football altogether.
A Question Unanswered
Thirty years after its conception, the Champions League stands tall but faces an unresolved question: Was it the salvation of European football, or the catalyst for an escalating spiral of commercialism? As Klaus Hempel himself admits, "The fact that more teams and games are being played is a problem for me. Inflation leads to a loss of value."
The 88-minute film "Trophy Men - The Invention of the UEFA Champions League" is set to air on ZDF on May 31 at 11:15 PM.
Related Topics
- UEFA Champions League
- UEFA
- 1990s
- Commercialization
- Crisis
- UEFA Crisis
- Heysel Disaster
- Sport Marketing
- Global Reach
- Champions League Evolution
- Klaus Hempel and Jürgen Lenz, the sport marketers who lost their jobs in the '90s, revolutionized European football with their vision to replace the traditional European Cup of Champions with a globally marketable competition: the UEFA Champions League.
- The Champions League, complete with an iconic logo, beloved anthem, and a novel format, was a demanding journey to develop, as the duo had to confront established structures and convince skeptics in broadcasting, clubs, and UEFA.
- The Champions League's success brought forth an unresolved question: Was it the salvation of European football, or the catalyst for an escalating spiral of commercialism, as more teams and games are being played, leading to a potential loss of value?
