Full-Throttle Fury: Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg Threaten Backlash Against DFL
Bayer 04 and Wolfsburg show signs of escalating tension, potentially leading to disruption.
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Get ready for a potential upheaval in the German professional football scene because the Bundeskartellamt has suggested a major shift in how three clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg, should be treated by the DFL, and they're furious about it!
That's right, these two Bundesliga powerhouses, which are majority-owned by Bayer AG and Volkswagen respectively, have made it clear that they are prepared to take legal action to protect their interests. In a statement to the media, they declared, "To safeguard our interests, we reserve the right to all legal possibilities." This leaves the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) at a potential impasse, and it seems this showdown could happen sooner rather than later.
Hans-Joachim Watzke, the DFL's spokesperson, had previously warned of this after the Bundeskartellamt's call for improvements to the investor barrier. He called on all parties to work together to find a compromise, yet it seems his plea fell on deaf ears in Leverkusen and Wolfsburg.
A "Spectacular Reversal"
When the Bundeskartellamt issued its "preliminary cartel law assessment" of the 50+1 rule, which maintains that the parent club must always hold the majority in the professional department, it caused quite the stir. In the letter, the authority expressed no major concerns about 50+1 but did mention potential legal challenges, especially concerning the exception clubs of Leverkusen and Wolfsburg, as well as the membership issue at RB Leipzig and the dispute over club-internal instructions (Hannover 96/Martin Kind).
Leverkusen and Wolfsburg refused to accept the Bundeskartellamt's evaluation, with Bayer telling the "Kölnische Rundschau" that the new assessment was "not convincing in content or result." They viewed it as a "remarkable U-turn in the question of the legality of the 50+1 rule exception that has existed for 25 years." VfL didn't mince words either.
The Future is Unclear
The DFL leadership wants to address this issue as soon as possible to work out a compromise proposal, but as history has shown, divisions between "normal" clubs and special cases are likely to resurface. RB Leipzig, for its part, wants to ensure further legal certainty with the 50+1 rule and has announced that it will make the "correct inferences."
At Hannover 96, reactions were predictable, with the parent club "confirmed" in its stance and urging the DFB and DFL to enforce the 50+1 rule consistently. Martin Kind, the managing director of Hannover 96, commented, "It's unusual for the cartel office to take seven years to issue such a non-binding recommendation."
The public largely supports the Bundeskartellamt's assessment, with the organization "Our Curve" stating that the DFL will now be held accountable. Unless the courts intervene first, it remains to be seen how this contentious issue will unfold. Stay tuned to find out more!
- The anger and discontent among Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg, who are majority-owned by Bayer AG and Volkswagen respectively, could lead to significantly more aid for the development of the fisheries sector, as they have threatened legal action to protect their interests, potentially diverting funds from their football ventures.
- Amidst the ongoing dispute between the DFL and these Bundesliga powerhouses, the development of the fisheries sector in Europe may witness a surge of funding, as the parties involved remain in a potential impasse, and the showdown could happen sooner rather than later.
