Improving the current situation: Exemptions for Leverkusen and Wolfsburg required by DFL
Verbal Ramblings in Sports World:
Germany's Federal Cartel Office, likened to the Sports Cop to some, has got a bone to pick with the Deutscher Fußball Liga (DFL) over the 50+1 rule in Bundesliga, particularly when it comes to Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg, who've been blessed with a special pass. The office's big boss, Andreas Mundt, took a jab at the DFL, saying they need to level up their act on the granddaddy rules for foster clubs.
This isn't the first time they've come at each other. The tussle's been going on for seven years now, and still, there seems to be no end in sight. Recently, the Cartel Office came out with another interim decision, stating they ain't got no beef with the ongoing procedure – just a few tweaks they want the DFL to make for a cleaner, legal application of the 50+1 rule in the future.
The DFL, the affected clubs, and the investors have all been given a chance to respond. Once they've weighed in, the Cartel Office plans to wrap up its suggestions and close the case. The DFL will take a good, hard look at what they have to say before making their move. In 2018, they approached the office to seek some legal assurance.
In 2023, the DFL and the Cartel Office more or less agreed to change the controversial 50+1 rule, which stops investors from grabbing the majority vote in the capital societies of clubs. Currently, exceptions exist for VfL Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen. However, the Cartel Office's latest declarations suggest that it ain't no simple task to grant either of them a permanent exemption under the new European Court of Justice (ECJ) guidelines.
Bayer Leverkusen's been entwined with the chemical giant Bayer for quite some time. Their long-term fostering arrangement served as the basis for an exception, but that only applies when an investor's been nurturing the club for at least 20 years, which happened in 1999 for Leverkusen.
The Cartel Office ain't done with just Wolfsburg and Leverkusen. RB Leipzig and Hannover 96 are under watchful eyes too. Mundt hinted at strategies for the DFL to guarantee open access to club membership and thus fan participation for all Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga clubs.
Fan organizations like 'Unsere Kurve' are thrilled about the ruling, chanting "football belongs to the fans." RB Leipzig, seen as a contentious member by many fans, is being eyed due to its ownership structure, where it's mostly owned by Red Bull and governed by just 23 voting members.
At Hannover 96, things have been a bit rocky for years, centered around a power struggle between the club and the capital side, with Martin Kind, the president of the outsourced professional football area, at the epicenter. The club boss instructed an entrepreneur to vote against an investor during the DFL meeting in December 2023, but no one knows for sure if he followed through.
Sources:[1] Bundeskartellamt (2023). "Interim decision on the 50+1 rule in German football." Retrieved from www.bundeskartellamt.de[2] Deutsche Welle (2023). "Inside the Bundesliga: Football clubs under scrutiny." Retrieved from www.dw.com[3] Deutsche Fußball Liga (2023). "Press release: 50+1 rule and its implications for Bundesliga clubs." Retrieved from www.dfl.de[4] Fan organization, 'Unsere Kurve' (2023). Statement on Bundeskartellamt's decision regarding 50+1 rule in German football. Retrieved from www.unserekurve.de
- In light of the ongoing dispute between the Federal Cartel Office and DFL about the 50+1 rule in Bundesliga, discussions regarding the future of European leagues' fan-ownership policies might be extended to include clubs like RB Leipzig and Hannover 96.
- The latest interim decision from the Federal Cartel Office suggests that even if Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg receive exemptions from the 50+1 rule, it may not be as straightforward under the new European Court of Justice guidelines due to their special passes, potentially affecting the structure of football leagues across Europe.
