The German Football League (DFL) identified new growth areas for the Bundesliga at its General Assembly. Investors also play a role in this. The newly elected DFL committees have positioned themselves to be more investor-friendly.
The balance of power in the newly elected DFL bodies has not changed completely as a result, but has become more balanced when it comes to opening up to investors.
After the General Assembly, DFL Managing Director Donata Hopfen announced that the main focus was on the future of German football: “It’s about developing future scenarios for strategic growth areas for the league and giving the clubs an overview of what the options could be with which we can go into the future together.”
This also includes the search for a partner who not only brings fresh capital, but also the appropriate know-how. However, no decision has yet been made for this, but the clubs have first been shown the appropriate options. One of these possibilities could be, for example, investor participation in the media revenues of the Bundesliga, which the “Handelsblatt” reported on in July.
In this context, Hans-Joachim Watzke, the new man at the head of the DFL supervisory board, once again made the enormous financial requirements for the league clear: “If we want to invest massively in this growth area that we have identified, we naturally also need the appropriate capital.”
Investor-friendly representatives new to the DFL Executive Committee
In the run-up to the General Assembly, it was already clear that Watzke was the only candidate to stand as 1st Deputy Spokesman of the Presidium of the German Football League and, following his election today by the General Assembly, would also act as the new DFL Supervisory Board Chairman in accordance with the statutes.
However, in his new position, Watzke wants to defend the 50+1 rule, which prohibits investors from taking over a majority of clubs: “It’s not just a football issue, it’s also about social cohesion.”said the BVB boss in advance in an interview with Deutschlandfunk.
This was also confirmed once again by DFL Managing Director Hopfen in the subsequent press conference of the DFL General Assembly. Six more representatives were elected today, completing this body around the DFL boss and a DFL authorized signatory. This body is definitely more investor-friendly than in its previous composition.
The re-election of Jan-Christian Dreesen (FC Bayern Munich) to the DFL Executive Committee was expected in advance. With Holger Schwiewagner from SpVgg Greuther Fürth, Bayern will also have a comrade-in-arms at their side, whose club is also open to investors. Because in a vote in 2018 among all 36 DFL member clubs, four clubs voted against the permanent retention of 50+1. Also present: FC Bayern and Greuther Fürth.
With Oliver Leki (SC Freiburg) and Oke Göttlich (FC St. Pauli), clear supporters of the rule and thus representatives critical of investors have once again moved into the presidency. This body is completed by Steffen Schneekloth (Holstein Kiel), for the “Football more beer and bratwurst than champagne and caviar” and with new member Axel Hellmann from Eintracht Frankfurt, whose club already has several investors.
Licensing committee and supervisory board more evenly composed
More investor-friendly representatives have now also joined the licensing committee of DFL eV. With Gerrit Floruss from 1. FC Heidenheim, a representative whose club had also spoken out against the permanent retention of the 50+1 rule in the DFL vote at the time. This also applies to the club of new member Dirk Weißert from Greuther Fürth. In this body, which is responsible for the final decisions in the licensing process, opponents and supporters of opening up to investors are almost equally represented.
The newly elected supervisory board is also a little more balanced than the previous composition. Fredi Bobic from Hertha BSC, whose club also has an investor, has recently joined the six-member board.
The Bundesliga’s search for a strategic partner has thus become more concrete since Wednesday. In what form is not yet clear. According to the DFL, the clubs should be taken along in a longer process. In this context, the DFL committees have already made themselves a little more investor-friendly in terms of personnel than before the General Assembly.