Berlin (dpa) – There have been violations of the minimum wage law at three clubs from the Bundesliga and at a second division club since the beginning of 2020.
This emerges from a response from the federal government to a request from the left-wing member of the Bundestag Victor Perli, which is available to the German Press Agency. The offenses were “detected during audits as part of the performance of the duties of the financial control for illegal work (FKS) of the customs administration (…)” and corresponding investigations were initiated. It has not been announced which clubs are involved.
The WDR magazine “Sport Inside” had already reported at the end of December that proceedings were to be launched against several former and current board members of FC Bayern Munich. According to WDR, it was about possible violations of the minimum wage law when paying youth coaches. Former youth coaches had reported to “Sport Inside” that they had worked significantly more than the ten hours allowed as part of their 450-euro job. Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn had assured that Munich would cooperate fully with the authorities and promised complete clarification.
The business premises of FC Augsburg were also searched in the summer. According to customs, it was about the “employment and payment modalities of part-time or volunteer football coaches”.
“Bundesliga clubs that pay millions in salaries to players and officials have cheated employees out of the minimum wage,” said Perli: “That’s cynical and it leaves you speechless” It’s bad news for professional football “that the youth coaches and supervisors some clubs are not even worth minimum wage.” The politician called for clarification and punishment: “Minimum wage fraud is not a minor offence, but white-collar crime. The cases uncovered in professional football underline the size of the problem, but apparently only scratch the tip of the iceberg.”
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