DFL deal
96-Boss Kind fears failure of the investor process
Managing director of Hannover 96 Martin Kind expects damage to German football if the DFL deal does not come about. photo
© Swen Pförtner/dpa
Martin Kind is a key figure in the current fan protests in German professional football. The 96 boss no longer believes in investor entry. And has further fears.
It’s no surprise to him that Blackstone, one of the two remaining interested parties, has already pulled out. “I fully understand. I would have done the same thing if I had responsibility at Blackstone. They need partners they can rely on. And the DFL is not making a strong impression at the moment,” said Kind. “Reliability, confidentiality, professionalism” are the basic requirements for getting started with a billion euros.
The DFL wants to collect one billion euros from a financial investor for a percentage share of the TV revenue. When the 36 professional clubs voted on the deal, the necessary two-thirds majority was only barely achieved. Since the secret ballot, there has been a lot of discussion about how Kind voted. Hanover’s club management had instructed Kind to vote against the investor’s entry. However, the voting results and the public confessions of opponents suggest that Kind voted yes and thus helped the DFL plan gain the necessary majority.
“You should turn on your mind”
Many fans have been protesting in the stadiums for weeks, mainly by throwing objects against entry, and games are repeatedly interrupted. Kind categorically rejects the behavior of these fans. “Football arenas are not a legal vacuum. That has to be said so clearly,” said Kind. “If we allow that, then we will leave the rules of the game to third parties. But that would end in chaos and that is simply not possible,” said the majority shareholder of the second division soccer team.
Kind expects damage to German professional football beyond the current investor process. “I’m afraid it will also have an impact on the negotiations of television contracts in the future. And on sponsors,” said the 79-year-old. “I don’t want to record any horror scenarios here. But you should turn your mind on and think about whatever the effects of decisions are on the markets and on possible partners.” If an investor’s entry fails, it means stagnation, said Kind. “And stagnation always means regression.”