Ongoing fan protests
DFL Presidium discusses investor deal
At the weekend, football fans protested with, among other things, remote-controlled vehicles and smoke cartridges during a game. photo
© Christian Charisius/dpa
The planned entry of an investor into the German Football League is meeting with increasing resistance. The DFL Presidium now wants to discuss a possible new vote.
In a letter to the DFL, 1. FC Cologne suggested a new vote on the entry of a strategic partner. “Under no circumstances should the current fan protests continue in the long term or even increase,” the “Frankfurter Rundschau” quoted from the letter on Monday. With a new debate between all clubs and their own members and fans as well as a new vote, “German professional football would document respect and greatness through this solidarity with its base.”
According to information from the newspaper, DFL executive committee spokesman and supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke is ready to follow Cologne’s request. However, the DFL had not yet received an official request to release the DFL Executive Board from the final discretion granted at the general meeting on December 11th with the necessary two-thirds majority on Monday morning. The umbrella organization of German professional football announced this in response to a dpa request.
Deal for a billion euros
The DFL wants to collect one billion euros from a financial investor for a percentage share of the TV revenue. Discussions are currently only underway with the company CVC. When the 36 professional clubs voted on the deal, the necessary two-thirds majority was only barely achieved. Due to the controversial role of managing director Martin Kind of second division team Hannover 96, there is suspicion that the vote could have violated the 50+1 rule.
A number of clubs are now calling for a new vote in order to legally secure the procedure. “These suspicions must be completely dispelled,” Cologne’s sports director Christian Keller reiterated on Sunday. It is primarily about “ensuring legal certainty and acceptance.”