Many football fans want to express their dissatisfaction with the DFL’s decision for an investor deal with a boycott this weekend. “We are not prepared to stand idly by as German football is sold out. In order to make it clear that the much-heralded 12th man nationwide is not prepared to be used as part of the bargaining chips for the DFL deal with dubious investors, we will remain silent for twelve minutes,” said a statement from Germany’s fan scenes published by several fan groups on Friday.
At the general meeting on Monday, the German Football League received a mandate from the professional clubs to begin concrete negotiations with a strategic marketing partner. A financial investor should pay up to one billion euros for a percentage share of the TV revenue. The contract should have a maximum term of 20 years.
If it stays quiet in the stadium for twelve minutes, “it will quickly become noticeable and audible to us,” said coach Sebastian Hoeneß, who was chasing VfB Stuttgart on Sunday (7:30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on DAZN). -Krakcher competes at FC Bayern. “Both have their place. The art lies in bringing the two together,” he said at a press conference on Friday in Stuttgart. On the one hand, it’s about not losing touch with international football, but also “definitely not losing contact” with the fans, who are “everything crucial.” “It’s a fine line.” You have to listen very carefully to what the fans’ concerns are.
“Keep tradition, develop vision”
“We respect the tradition historically, but we want to develop German football,” emphasized colleague Xabi Alonso from league leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen. “We have fans in Leverkusen, but also in Spain, Argentina and Japan. We have to have a perspective to keep the tradition, but also to develop a vision because we are fighting in a football jungle, with La Liga, Premier League, League A and Serie A.” The Werkself host on Sunday (5.30 p.m in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on DAZN) Eintracht Frankfurt.
The lively fan culture in Germany is a unique selling point, the fans write. “But that is precisely why our participation in the Bundesliga product is also our greatest weapon! We have our share of the value of professional football in our own hands,” the statement said. “We see the investor entry as a fundamental attack on the grassroots popular sport of football in this country. The officials may be able to sell away media rights, but we can still influence our own shares in the Bundesliga product.”
Christian Otto, Hannover Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3 Daniel Theweleit Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 9 Daniel Theweleit Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 4
The fan scenes announced: “We will pool our resources collectively in the fight against the DFL’s greed and arbitrariness. The league’s managing directors could still stop the disastrous investment project. We will keep a close eye on this route!”
