The managing directors of the DFL are allowed to enter into concrete negotiations with private equity firms about a possible partnership. The extremely narrow two-thirds majority contains a clear message: the yes vote is a sign of healthy realism in German football. A comment from kicker reporter Benni Hofmann.
The die has been cast: the DFL managing directors are allowed to enter into concrete negotiations with private equity firms. Bongarts/Getty Images
The trends in European football are relatively clear. Sovereign wealth funds from autocracies with a less than gracious reputation invest in English football. The same thing happened at Paris St. Germain in France, where the existing investor deal with CVC was so poorly negotiated by the league that it threatened to pulverize the already ailing national competition. Spain’s league is divided, the two grandees FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are still the drivers behind a Super League. In this respect, German football has recently been faced with the question for months of where it will fit in the future: Will it try to take the path of British turbo-capitalism? Or will it remain a little less important internationally, but remain almost completely self-determined?
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The vote of the 36 DFL clubs this Monday provides an answer: the Bundesliga and 2nd League are choosing the middle path and that is not bad news. This “yes” is a sign of healthy realism and not a contradiction to the “no” from the summer, because the parameters were simply different, especially with regard to the distribution of money. However, the fact that it was extremely close sends a clear message: the “red lines” really have to stand. Dr. Marc Lenz and Dr. Steffen Merkel as well as the executive board and supervisory board of the league association must be measured and must not give in in the storm of possible renegotiations if the business plan does not work out as desired. It’s also about credibility towards the fans who made their displeasure known.
That is their right and it is also the right of club officials. But in the end it has to be about solutions. And if 36 clubs clearly say that investments in the league business model are necessary, but in the end there is only one proposed solution on the table as the lowest common denominator, then you have to ask “why”. The obvious idea of using money from everyone’s current media income simply fails because some clubs have long since pledged these millions. As solid as German football sometimes likes to appear, the economy is not always as solid as it is and that is not due to the “evil DFL”, but rather due to the mismanagement of the local officials.
Topic The league and the “strategic partner”
The discussion about a DFL investor
on the topic The DFL leadership wants to obtain capital from an investor for investments in, among other things, digitalization. An initial concept did not achieve the required two-thirds majority. A new approach will be voted on on December 11th.
2023-12-11 15:38:58
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