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Schalke 04 receives guarantee from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in a corona crisis

Dhe Bundesliga has managed to become a pioneer in the liberation from the lockdown by successfully completing the interrupted season. But the reputation of the industry remains battered. When officials claim that they have understood the lesson and announce that excessive money management will become more sustainable and down-to-earth in the future, great doubts remain.


Now FC Schalke receives a state guarantee of 31.5 million euros, with which a loan of 35 million euros is supposed to be secured. Critics will call this a scandal. The Gelsenkirchen Bundesliga company, which did not operate sustainably, receives support from the taxpayer to pay its employees with the million dollar salaries and the thick luxury coaches?

The matter is more complex. For many years, the federal states have repeatedly guaranteed their large clubs. In North Rhine-Westphalia, associations from MSV Duisburg to Alemannia Aachen, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund to Schalke 04 have repeatedly received this form of support, which primarily serves as an instrument to get cheaper loans. Banks charge less interest when the public sector bears the risks.

As a rule, the clubs repay their debts without paying a cent of tax money. “This is not honorary, knowing that the people’s soul feels differently”, said Hans-Joachim Watzke, the managing director of BVB, about the Schalke guarantee plans. Especially since special motives for the state government around Armin Laschet (CDU) play a role.

Schalke 04 is one of the largest employers in the poorest city in Germany, layoffs would be expensive for the battered community. In addition, according to FAZ information, the state vouches for other parts of the almost 200 million euros in debts that are on the club, and last but not least, the Stadtwerke own shares in the stadium. Horrible losses for the public sector are at risk if Schalke does not free itself from the crisis.

These interdependencies are actually annoying. In the sense of a functioning competition, it would be good not to help any club in this form. “S04 applied for this guarantee in the expectation that the decision would not be treated differently from commercial companies from other areas,” the Schalke writes, but professional football is not comparable to mechanical engineering or construction, because managers are under pressure, uncontrollable To take risks. Just like Schalke 04 in previous years.

The tumbling district club also asks “for understanding that the association will not comment on further details” of the guarantee. The directors Jochen Schneider and Alexander Jobst are thus damaging their credibility after they aggressively announced “transparency” at the beginning of July. They could explain exactly why they need the money, how they want to transform the club with the help of a new, healthy FC Schalke without the patriarch Clemens Tönnies. You are currently missing this opportunity.

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