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The Cartel Office is pushing for reform of the 50+1 rule – what does that mean for the DFL?
The Federal Cartel Office is calling for improvements to the 50+1 rule for DFL clubs such as Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig.
The Cartel Office is pushing for reform of the 50+1 rule – what does that mean for the DFL?
The discussion about the 50+1 rule in German football is currently gaining momentum: the Federal Cartel Office is demanding noticeable improvements from the German Football League (DFL). Affected clubs such as Bayer Leverkusen, VfL Wolfsburg, RB Leipzig and Hannover 96 are now the focus of this dispute. Andreas Mundt, President of the Federal Cartel Office, emphasizes that the regulations that have so far protected these clubs must be revised. The entire process has been going on for seven years and now seems to be coming to an end.
A central point of the discussion is the 50+1 rule, originally introduced in 1998, which prohibits investors from taking over the majority of votes in the clubs' corporations. There are currently only exceptions for Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg. But according to the current case law of the European Court of Justice, long-term protection for these two clubs is no longer possible. Bayer Leverkusen, which is closely linked to the chemical giant Bayer, and Wolfsburg, which is inextricably linked to Volkswagen, are now criticizing the cartel office's assessment and describing it as “unconvincing”.
Fans and membership in focus
Another central point that Mundt mentions is open access to membership for all clubs. This is intended to ensure that fans' participation is guaranteed. RB Leipzig is currently an example of this discussion: the club only has 23 voting members, and membership is regulated by the club itself. Of course, the question arises as to whether this is really in the spirit of football.
At Hannover 96, things are simmering somewhere else: the club is dominated by internal power struggles between the club and the capital, especially because of the controversial president Martin Kind. Such conflicts are not uncommon and also cast a distorted light on the overall situation in German professional football.
The DFL is now faced with the task of taking a position in the next few months before the Federal Cartel Office finalizes recommendations. This could be crucial for the future of many clubs and influence the competitive conditions in German football as a whole. In a sport that is constantly changing, it will be exciting to see how things develop.
It remains to be seen how these regulatory and internal challenges will affect the clubs involved. One thing is clear, however: playing talent is in demand, but the structures in the background also have to be right so that fairer conditions for everyone can apply again in German football. Yahoo News and Spiegel stay tuned and report regularly on developments.