Munich National football coach Hansi Flick has achieved a lot as an athlete and club coach. Now the 59-year-old is trying his luck as an entrepreneur. Together with partners, Flick founded the start-up The Padel City, which wants to build facilities for the trend sport padel tennis throughout Germany. “It’s the special community, the fun factor, the easy entry and the steep learning curve that make this sport so awesome,” says Flick the Handelsblatt.
Born in Heidelberg, he has three experienced company directors at his side as co-founders and investors. The founder of the series, Jonathan Sierck, runs the business, and Marcus Englert and Sebastian Weil, two former top managers from Pro Sieben Sat 1, are also there.
“The aim is to operate 100 places with our brand by the end of the year: 50 to 60 under our own management, the rest from franchisees,” says Englert. The business model is simple, according to the former CEO of Germany’s largest private broadcasting chain: “We rent seats, rent and sell equipment and generate income through sponsorship. An online shop is currently under construction.”
Padel City already operates four centers with a total of 18 spaces. “Our first facilities are already operationally profitable,” explains Englert. In Ingolstadt, Leipzig, Munich and Dortmund, athletes can grab their rackets. Another branch is scheduled to open in Fürth in June.
Padel tennis is still little known in Germany. The game originated in Mexico and is a ball sport that combines elements of tennis, squash and badminton. It is only played in doubles, both indoors and outdoors.
Mario Götze plays padel with Jürgen Klopp
The first padel club was founded in Marbella, Spain, almost 50 years ago. The sport is extremely popular in Spain. Experts estimate that there are around 20,000 places in the country. Padel tennis is also widespread in Italy and Sweden.
The sport is already widespread in countries like Italy.
(Photo: IMAGO/LaPresse)
According to Padel City, there are currently 280 courts in Germany. The barriers to entry are low, say the founders: “First successes can be achieved faster than in tennis,” explains Englert.
The sport is a popular pastime among footballers, as the risk of injury is said to be lower than in traditional tennis. Last week, national player Mario Götze reported how he once stood on the padel court with Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp. “It’s true, we played a game,” said the 31-year-old, who is under contract with Eintracht Frankfurt. “I don’t know whether he wanted to sign me as a padel player or as a football player,” said Götze about the private duel in Mallorca.
According to their own statements, the four founders of Padel City, together with other investors, have invested around five million euros in the project. The sponsors include Andreas Wiele, former CEO of the media group Axel Springer and current chairman of the supervisory board of Pro Sieben Sat 1. Also present are the former soccer professionals Jens Keller and Robert Dekeyser.
Padel City already operates four centers in Germany.
(Photo: The Padel City)
The Padel City now employs 20 people. Right at the top of the agenda: the search for new locations. “Medium-sized cities are the most attractive for us. It’s easier to find suitable space there than in the really big cities,” explains Englert.
Among other things, the start-up is trying to do business with tennis clubs that want to give up some of their courts. Padel City is leasing these for ten years, with an option for a five-year extension, and is remodeling them. Two padel courts fit on a tennis court.
The national coach’s partners have a lot of experience with start-ups. Last summer, Englert and Weil sold their podcast marketer Julep to a US company just three years after it was founded.
For Hansi Flick, the coming months will be about putting together a powerful team for the European Championships in Germany next year. Team spirit is also required on the court, he believes: “Only when the interaction is right can you leave the field successfully in the end.”
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