Latest news with #50plus1
Al Arabiya
10 hours ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
German Regulator Pushes for More Fan Control of Soccer Clubs Like Bayer Leverkusen
Top German soccer clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen and Leipzig, face the prospect of handing over more control to fans in the future after a regulator intervened. A statement Monday from Germany's antitrust regulator, the Federal Cartel Office, said it wants to see tighter enforcement of the rule known as 50-plus-1, which requires a soccer club's membership to have majority voting rights over how the team is run. Why Leverkusen? The regulator said recent European court rulings suggest permanent exemptions from 50-plus-1 for last year's champion Leverkusen and fellow top-tier club Wolfsburg seem no longer possible. It said efforts should be made in the future to ensure the clubs' professional soccer operations come under the control of membership organizations, but didn't name any deadline. Leverkusen and Wolfsburg were founded as workers' teams at major companies which own the clubs, with pharmaceutical giant Bayer at Leverkusen and car manufacturer Volkswagen at Wolfsburg. Their long-term involvement led to the clubs getting exemptions from 50-plus-1. The regulator also said the German men's soccer league needs to ensure the clubs it oversees offer their fans the opportunity to become a new full member with voting rights. That appears to affect Leipzig and its relationship with drinks giant Red Bull, though they weren't directly named by the regulator in Tuesday's statement. The club was founded by Red Bull in 2009 and is part of its international network of soccer clubs. It grants voting rights to far fewer people than most German clubs. Local media reported that only 23 members had the right to vote at Leipzig as of last year. What are they saying? Leverkusen said in a statement that the Federal Cartel Office's new approach was 'a remarkable change of course.' The club added that it 'does not consider the regulator's reasoning to be convincing' and that it 'will examine the ruling and reserve all legal options.' Hans-Joachim Watzke, speaker of the league's executive board, said it stands behind 50-plus-1, which he called 'an elementary component of German soccer.' Why does 50-plus-1 matter? Fan control means outside investors can't buy up German clubs outright like they can in the English Premier League and other competitions. It's also one reason why Germany hasn't seen the sort of spending sprees and dramatic shifts in competitive balance which followed takeovers at clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea, or Paris Saint-Germain in the past. Fans often argue the rule keeps clubs rooted in their communities but still allows a limited role for investment. Sportswear giant Adidas is among the minority shareholders who've helped member-run Bayern Munich win a string of titles, while Borussia Dortmund shares are traded on the stock market. Fan power is a force in German soccer outside of the boardroom, too. Following protests, the league abandoned plans to sell a stake in its media rights income last year. While the regulator's statement may eventually change how some top clubs are run, it could take a while. The regulator has been examining German men's soccer for around seven years now and has brought about limited changes before.
Washington Post
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
German regulator pushes for more fan control of soccer clubs like Bayer Leverkusen
BONN, Germany — Top German soccer clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and Leipzig face the prospect of handing over more control to fans after a regulator intervened. A statement Monday from Germany's antitrust regulator, the Federal Cartel Office, said it wants to see tighter enforcement of the rule known as 50-plus-1 which requires a soccer club's membership to have majority voting rights over how the team is run.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
German cartel office: DFL must update its 50+1 regulations
The logo of the German football league (DFL) can be seen at the entrance to the DFL headquarters in Hesse. German football authorities must make sure that all clubs are treated in the same way regarding the 50+1 rule which prevents takeovers by investors, the German Federal Cartel Office said on Monday. Frank Rumpenhorst/dpa German football authorities must make sure that all clubs are treated in the same way regarding the 50+1 rule which prevents takeovers by investors, the German Federal Cartel Office said on Monday. The cartel authority said it would close the case if the German Football League (DFL) modifies its rules accordingly. Advertisement The preliminary assessment reiterated that 50+1 does not violate antitrust laws in principle, but that the DFL must gradually end its exemption status for some clubs. This currently applies for Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg and RB Leipzig. Leverkusen and Wolfsburg are owned by chemical company Bayer and car makers Volkswagen, respectively. Leipzig are backed by drinks makers Red Bull and have only 23 voting members. Under the 50+1 rule, which only applies in Germany, club members must have a majority of 50% of the vote, plus one. Exceptions are possible if a a club has been backed by more than 20 years by an investor. The cartel office said that recent rulings by the European Court of Justice mean that the DFL must change its rules in this area. Advertisement "The investigations have shown that the DFL does not take sufficient care in its licensing practice to ensure that all Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs consistently offer their fans the opportunity to be admitted as full new members with voting rights," the statement said. "The 50+1 rule can only fulfil its objective of shaping the clubs, which can exempt it from antitrust law, if the accessibility of the clubs is strictly enforced. "The DFL will have to ensure this in the future if it wants the 50+1 rule to be applied with legal certainty," the cartel office said. The cartel office said it was not investigating against the DFL but upon a request by it from several years ago for a ruling.
Associated Press
12 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
German regulator pushes for more fan control of soccer clubs like Bayer Leverkusen
BONN, Germany (AP) — Top German soccer clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and Leipzig face the prospect of handing over more control to fans after a regulator intervened. A statement Monday from Germany's antitrust regulator, the Federal Cartel Office, said it wants to see tighter enforcement of the rule known as 50-plus-1 which requires a soccer club's membership to have majority voting rights over how the team is run. The regulator said recent European court rulings suggest permanent exemptions from 50-plus-1 for last year's champion Leverkusen and fellow top-tier club Wolfsburg seem 'no longer possible.' It said efforts should be made in the future to ensure the club's professional soccer operations come under the control of membership organizations, but didn't name any deadline. Leverkusen and Wolfsburg were founded as workers' teams at major companies which own the clubs, with pharmaceutical giant Bayer at Leverkusen, and car manufacturer Volkswagen at Wolfsburg. Their long-term involvement led to the clubs getting exemptions from 50-plus-1. The regulator also said the German men's soccer league needs to ensure the clubs it oversees 'offer their fans the opportunity to become a new full member with voting rights.' That appears to affect Leipzig and its relationship with drinks giant Red Bull, though they weren't directly named by the regulator in Tuesday's statement. The club was founded by Red Bull in 2009 and is part of its international network of soccer clubs. It grants voting rights to far fewer people than most German clubs. Local media reported that only 23 members had the right to vote at Leipzig as of last year. ___ AP soccer:
