Admin l Friday, May 5, 2023
BERLIN – German football league (DFL) managing directors Axel Hellmann and Oliver Leki have strongly spoken out in favour of a possible entry of investors in the league.
“I believe there’s no other alternative,” Hellmann said on Thursday at a media event in Frankfurt, while Leki stressed: “It’s about securing the future of the league to some extent.”
The DFL is looking into selling parts of its shares to investors. As league rules mean no club can have an investor owning more than 50% of shares, a way around this, and to make German football more competitive, is to seek investment into the top two divisions as a whole.
Bayer Leverkusen and Volkswagen-backed Wolfsburg are among the exceptions of the rule known as 50+1.
Fans, however, didn’t welcome the proposal, and since it was disclosed, many football supporters have shown their position with banners in stadiums saying “No to investors in the DFL,” or “The league belongs to all of us – against investors.”
Before the 36 clubs from the first and second divisions vote on the matter at an extraordinary general meeting on May 24, the concept that has been developed is to be discussed in detail during two rounds of talks with club representatives on May 12 and 15.
Six applicants have submitted their bids to acquire 12.5% of the league’s media rights for a term of 20 to 30 years, but only four have remained, Hellmann said.
Of the fresh capital of around €2 billion ($2.21 billion), 85% is to flow into earmarked investments in future fields as well as strengthening the stability of the DFL. The 36 clubs are to receive only 15% of the sum for free use.
