Freising gives the green light: Erima Sports Park and new floodlight system are coming

The city council in Freising has enabled SE Freising to make two decisions that will be immediately noticeable for the club: The club is allowed to grant the naming rights for the stadium in Savoyer Au to the sportswear manufacturer Erima for five years. In addition, the way has been cleared for the club to modernize the floodlight system at training ground 1 on its own and to apply for funding for this purpose.

Five years of naming rights: “Erima Sports Park” – but only in club wording

In a non-public session, the city council approved SE Freising's application to sell the naming rights for the stadium in Savoyer Au to Erima for five years. A direct cash payment is not planned. Instead, the club is to receive sports equipment worth a five-figure amount.

At the same time, a clear dividing line was drawn for public perception: According to sports representative Jürgen Mieskes, “Erima Sports Park” is to be used only in the club wording of SE Freising in the future. For schools and other users, the facility will continue to be called Savoyer Au. Mieskes also emphasized that the city itself does not enter into any obligations with the contract.

Politically, the decision was not a mere formality. The application had previously been rejected in the finance committee and only came back to the city council at the initiative of Mieskes. Nothing is known about the exact voting ratio; however, Mieskes spoke of a clear majority.

For SE Freising, the arrangement is primarily a financial relief through a monetary benefit: The equipment provided by a sponsor works in practice much like a budget item that the club no longer has to finance from its own resources – especially for ongoing expenses such as materials, organization, and subsidies. Mieskes referred in this context to “escalating costs, for example for trainer subsidies and similar things,” which the club can better absorb in this way.

The relief is also clear within the club. Football department head Andreas Schlechta spoke of an important signal after the initial rejection in the finance committee. The discussions beforehand had been constructive; for SE Freising, the city council's approval is a sign that the city and the club have found a viable solution in this matter.

Floodlight system at training ground 1: Modernization on own initiative – 40,000 euros estimated

The second decision concerns the floodlight system at training ground 1 in Savoyer Au. SE Freising wants to carry out the modernization itself; estimated costs are 40,000 euros. The fact that the club can make faster progress here depends on a formal but crucial prerequisite: For large grants – including from the Bavarian State Sports Association (BLSV) – a lease agreement with a term of at least 25 years is required, according to information surrounding the decision.

This very basis has now been created. This means that the club can not only plan the modernization, but also set it up in such a way that funding becomes realistic. Mieskes also highlighted the economic effect for the city: It will be “significantly cheaper” if the club implements the project itself than if the municipality had to act as the builder.

Why both decisions together are significant for SE Freising

All in all, the decisions are interlinked: The naming rights provide short-term relief because the club receives equipment worth a five-figure sum without having to tie up funds from the current budget. The 25-year lease agreement, in turn, creates the long-term framework that funding bodies typically expect when a sports facility is to be sustainably modernized. Mieskes spoke in this context of planning security for the next 25 years – a period that is crucial for investments in infrastructure.

The political process is also noteworthy: Both topics were initially rejected in the finance committee, but ultimately found a majority in the city council. For SE Freising, this means a double perspective: more leeway in day-to-day operations in the short term – and better conditions for training infrastructure in the long term.