The defining image of the protest: tennis balls in the Bundesliga. Image: dpa
The DFL failed in the investor project not because of the power of fans, but above all because of itself. It is a frightening picture: the Bundesliga no longer knows what it wants.
Wednesday was said to have been a good day for professional football, if not for democracy. A fan representative confidently claimed this with his reference to the capitulation of the German Football League (DFL). The managers of the First and Second Bundesliga have given in after the ongoing protests from fans in the stadiums.
They have for the time being put an end to their idea of modernizing the partly backwards marketing with the help of an investor. It was a more or less timid second attempt after the first failed in May 2023 – long before tennis balls flew and games had to be interrupted. But with all due respect for the influence of Ultras on the organization of professional football: The DFL failed not because of the power of fans, but above all because of itself.
