“G 15” divides the Bundesliga: Rummenigge criticizes clubs that have not been invited

Stand: 11.11.2020 | Reading time: 3 minutes

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge used the “G 15” summit in professional football to harsh words to the four uninvited clubs and to send reminders to the DFB. “We have expressly decided that the area of ​​competence lies with the DFL Presidium. I think we are well advised not to send any stimulus papers through the Republic of what happened at other clubs. Because we have not broken this solidarity pact, but we see this with the four Bundesliga clubs and ten second division clubs – they threw gauntlets into the ring, “said the boss of Bayern Munich, referring to the actions of the four first division clubs FSV Mainz 05, VfB Stuttgart, Arminia Bielefeld and FC Augsburg as well as ten second division clubs. They had spoken out in favor of a new distribution key for the TV funds.

These clubs would put pressure on the presidium of the German Football League to achieve a change in the distribution of money. “We don’t want that,” emphasized Rummenigge expressly. At the same time he said that the topic of TV income was not discussed at all at the three-hour conference.

Normally, the first and second division teams consult with a full team at their DFL general meetings. Top officials from 14 first division soccer teams and Hamburger SV were invited to the originally secret meeting in the “Airport Club” in Frankfurt, but not DFB or DFL representatives or the quartet with Mainz, Augsburg, Stuttgart and Bielefeld. This had caused displeasure in advance. The future distribution of media revenue has long been a hot topic in professional football. The clubs below the top clubs and fan organizations advocate more equal opportunities.

“The 36 clubs will have less in their pockets”

The distribution of the income from the media contracts from the 2021/2022 season onwards amounts to 4.4 billion euros from national media revenues, which will be divided among the 36 professional clubs until the end of the 2024/25 season. According to dpa information, a DFL general meeting is planned for December 7th, but the decision will be made by the nine-member DFL Presidium. Jan-Christian Dreesen sits there as the only representative of a top club.

“Unfortunately, we have the problem that we have around 200 million euros less national income and almost 100 million less international income. That means, for the first time in a long, long time, all 36 clubs will have fewer in their bags, ”emphasized Rummenigge. However, the economic imbalance between top clubs like FC Bayern and the rest of the first and second leagues is mainly due to the money from the Champions League.

Image of the national team is “in need of improvement”

According to Rummenigges, the meeting also dealt with the crisis at the German Football Association. “We are very interested in the DFB, as the umbrella organization, coming back into calm waters,” said the top Munich official. Support the reform process initiated by the new association president Fritz Keller. The 65-year-old Rummenigge also sees the image of the national team as “in need of improvement”.

When looking for a successor to Christian Seifert, who has announced his departure as DFL boss for 2022, trust the responsible DFL supervisory board – “we expressly do not want to recommend a Mister Superman.”

The “Frankfurter Kreis” was initiated by Rummenigge and the other top clubs Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen. The Bayern boss spoke of a “very good meeting”. One is always ready to enlarge this group.