The traditional finale of the German American Football Championship is not called the “German Bowl” this year, but the “GFL Bowl”. And it will not take place on Saturday, October 14th (5 p.m.) in Frankfurt as planned, but in Essen. The background is a legal dispute between the current and former leadership of the German football association AFVD, which concerns the question: Whose welfare did the former president have in mind when dealing with the association?
Football multi-functionary Robert Huber was not only president of the AFVD for 25 years, but is also managing director of the GmbH German Football Services GFS, which was founded in 2012. During the lawyer and CDU local politician’s term of office, the AFVD ceded the organizing rights at the German Bowl to the GFS.
Outsourcing business to companies is a common step taken by sports associations. Normally they hold 100 percent of the shares in these GmbHs, but at least 51 percent for the majority of votes. This is different with the AFVD; the GFS is privately owned by Huber.
Contract change shortly before Huber’s resignation
According to the new AFVD leadership around President Fuad Merdanovic, it was agreed that the GFS would distribute 50,000 euros to the AFVD for each German Bowl event. In August 2022, shortly before Huber’s resignation, the contract was changed so that the AFVD waived this guaranteed sum. In the Federal Assembly on November 19, this “caused heated discussions and great outrage because this decision was withheld from the state associations,” the AFVD wrote in a statement.
The association was involved in the economic failure of the German Bowl 2022. Less than 10,000 spectators came to the huge and correspondingly expensive Frankfurt stadium, not enough for a plus in the balance sheet. As a result, the AFVD decided to terminate the contracts with GFS GmbH, including the hosting contract for the German Bowl, without notice. “In the opinion of the AFVD, these contracts were concluded unlawfully and burden the AFVD far into the future, in some cases until 2033,” the association wrote in a statement dated February 12th.
GFS is suing against termination without notice
The GFS sued against this termination, and an initial hearing before the Frankfurt regional court in June ended without the agreement suggested by the judge. The final will take place in Essen in 2023 with the AFVD as the organizer. Further negotiations will decide what will happen in the coming years; the next meetings are planned for late autumn.
The new AFVD President Merdanovic did not want to comment on the disputes to the sports show, citing the ongoing proceedings. The Hessian Football Association left an interview request to Huber, who is still president of the state association, unanswered.
Unusual account movements?
In particular, the previous communications from the new AFVD board shape the public image. Accordingly, the replaced executive board answered questions about the financial situation inadequately or not at all, the association wrote on December 5th.
In January, a press release that has since been deleted said that there had been unusual account movements and several contracts signed with Huber’s company in the last few weeks before Huber’s resignation. In addition, the association’s office had to move because Huber was the landlord of the previous premises and had terminated the rental agreement – despite the rent being paid in advance until March 2023.
Deleted hard drives?
Huber also handed over two computers that had been completely cleaned the day before. “Therefore, there is no digital accounting data and still incomplete documents. A request was made to hand over the missing documents – without response,” wrote the AFVD. “The Presidium has commissioned a specialist law firm to examine the events.”
While lawyers are now dealing with the past and future of the AFVD, the association is trying to bring sports back to the foreground. In the semi-finals on September 30th and October 1st, last year’s winners Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns and the Dresden Monarchs as well as Potsdam Royals and Lions Braunschweig will fight for a place in the finals.
Competition from the ELF
The German Football League (GFL) has had a harder time since the private European League of Football (ELF) was founded three years ago. With their professional image, the ELF franchises have managed to attract many GFL players and coaches as well as spectators.
A successful German Bowl aka GFL Bowl would be all the more important for the AFVD. It has been around since 1979, with a heyday around the turn of the millennium, when it attracted more than 20,000 spectators for six years in a row.
AFVD hopes for 10,000 viewers
Currently, before the semi-finals, 5,500 tickets for the final in Essen have been sold, Merdanovic told the sports show. “It would be a success if we could fill the 10,000 available seats. And I’m confident we can do that.” Including standing room, 20,000 spectators can fit in the stadium on Hafenstrasse. According to AFVD, 7,000 tickets are needed to be sold to cover the costs.
