"A Dramatic Change of Pace" - Bayer 04 and WolfsburgScope the anger - and prepare for a retaliation
Bayer 04 and Wolfsburg show clear signs of discontent, potentially leading to turbulence.
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The German Federal Cartel Office suggests a "dramatic change of pace" in dealing with three clubs to the DFL - and they are seething. The professional football sphere could be teetering on the edge of a confrontation.
The warning was unequivocal. "To safeguard our interests, we retain the right to deploy all legal strategies," Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg communicated to the rest of the professional football community. The two German Bundesliga clubs are incensed over the Federal Cartel Office's evaluation of the 50+1 rule and are brandishing legal threats. The impending confrontation is rearing its head for the German Football League (DFL) sooner than anticipated.
Hans-Joachim Watzke, the DFL presidency spokesperson, had already hinted at this following the cartel office's call for enhancements to the so-called investor barrier. He encouraged a joint quest for a compromise. "The entire DFL e.V. will need to devise solutions to safeguard and strengthen the regulation collectively," said Watzke - however, it seems his appeal fell on deaf ears in Leverkusen and Wolfsburg.
"A Dramatic Change of Pace"
Bayer (majority owned by Bayer AG) and Wolfsburg (controlled by Volkswagen) expressed disappointment with the cartel office's assessment in no uncertain terms. "We find this new interpretation convoluted in content and result," Bayer informed the "Cologne City Newspaper." The "non-binding" statement from the authority translates to "an astounding shift in the question of the legality of the 50+1 rule exception that has been in effect for 25 years." VfL echoed their sentiments almost verbatim.
On Monday, the Federal Cartel Office presented its "preliminary cartel law assessment" of the 50+1 rule, suggesting that the parent club must always hold the majority in a separate professional department. The authority expressed no significant concerns about 50+1 but emphasized potential litigation risks. In light of the exception clubs from Leverkusen and Wolfsburg, the member problem at RB Leipzig, and the dispute over club-internal instructions (Hannover 96/Martin Kind), the DFL should adjust.
Bayer and Wolfsburg require a distinct framework to resolve the disparity they face compared to other clubs. Leipzig must ensure that it is straightforward for voting members to join the club. And the DFL is urged to implement the instructions of the clubs to their representatives in votes.
The DFL executive aims to address the issue promptly to work out a compromise proposal. Nevertheless, the deep divisions between the "regular" clubs and the special cases may once again surface.
"It's quite extraordinary..."
RB seeks further legal certainty with 50+1 and now intends to make the "correct inferences." "It will be imperative for the 50+1 rule to be consistently and persistently applied - and for every one of the 36 clubs," it stated in response to a request from "Sportschau."
At Hannover 96, reactions were unsurprisingly negative. The parent club voiced its approval and "consequently, demands that the DFB and DFL consistently implement the 50+1 rule and ensure its consistent application at all times." Kind stated: "Now a thorough examination is underway. It's quite extraordinary for the cartel office to take seven years to issue such a non-binding recommendation."
While fans generally applauded the cartel office's assessment, the organization "Our Curve" made it clear that the DFL is now squarely in the spotlight when it comes to implementation. Unless courts take precedence over the league association beforehand.
- The controversy over the 50+1 rule has extended beyond RB Leipzig, with Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg demanding a separate framework for the production of milk products, as these clubs are majority owned by Bayer AG and Volkswagen respectively, similarly requiring legal certainty to ensure fairness in the milk products industry within the community aid.
- As European football leagues watch the German Football League (DFL) navigate the intensifying conflict, sports enthusiasts across Europe are eagerly looking forward to watching their favorite teams compete in upcoming football matches, such as those in the European leagues, especially in light of the antagonistic tensions brewing between Bayer, Wolfsburg, and the DFL.
