German football resists foreign riches, for now
The German Soccer League (DFL) confirmed last Thursday that the regulation preventing foreigners to possess majority shares in German clubs will remain in effect. The 50+1 rule (the first such ‘numbered’ rule to make sense) was voted on by the DFL, determining that Germans must own majority shares in Bundesliga clubs.
Reinhard Rauball, DFL President, stated at a press conference that the ‘stability and continuity’ of the Bundesliga must be maintained to keep the competition fair. The German majority ownership rule has nothing to do with national pride and everything to do with preventing football from becoming divorced from it’s local and cultural roots and run purely as a business operation.
The rule stands regardless of opposition from some clubs. Martin Kind, president of Hanover 96, who aims to attract foreign investors, has said that more and more clubs wish to change the ruling. And the pressure will keep increasing as the Premier League races away with their takeovers, lucrative sponsorships and multi-billion dollar TV deals.
In order to change the regulation, two-thirds of the DFL members and the DFB, German football association, would have to approve it.
Source: EUFootball
Topics: Bundesliga, Germany, Help Football
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The 50+1 rule is not a ban on foreign ownership it is a ban on every type of ownership. German’s can’t buy more than 49% of a club either. Hoffenheim’s billionaire sugar daddy only owns 49% of Hoffenheim as well for example.
October 21st, 2008 @ 13:04Hey Jan,
Is that the case with Leverkusen and Wolfsburg too? Or are they exceptions?
October 22nd, 2008 @ 08:58Because Leverkusen and Wolfsburg evolved out of clubs founded by companies (Bayer – VW), those companies can hold 100% of the shares. An exception to the rule that those shares have to be held by the club members (as in all other cases). The 50+1 rule still remains intact in the sense that Bayer and VW aren’t allowed to sell more than 49% of their shares either.
Given the support and sponsorship from those companies over decades, this decision might be understandable, and at the time the rule was made Leverkusen were also one of the top 3 teams in the league and playing in the CL. But I’m not really happy with it. With the ever growing popularity of football, the two companies were given an additional very valuable marketing tool, while denying it to the other clubs. Bayer support Bayer Leverkusen with €25m in “image money” each year. In other words they pay for the fact that the company name is part of the club’s name and that the company logo is part of the club’s crest. I wouldn’t want to see Coca Cola Cologne playing in the Bundesliga, it’s more about having each club follow the same rules…
October 22nd, 2008 @ 14:08