1. FC Cologne is apparently calling for another vote on the entry of an investor into the German Football League (DFL).
1. FC Cologne is apparently calling for another vote on the entry of an investor into the German Football League (DFL). The Sportschau reported this on Thursday evening and referred to a letter from the FC management to the DFL, which was available to the editorial team. It said that the “decision made for a negotiation and final mandate from the DFL Presidium is based on a very fragile foundation,” wrote the Sportschau.
Due to the unclear voting behavior of Martin Kind as managing director of Hannover 96, there is a suspicion that “there has been a violation of the 50+1 rule”. The people of Cologne called for the “establishment of legal certainty and acceptance” as a basis for an investor to join. The financial news agency Bloomberg also reported on it.
Formal application planned soon
The FC wanted to send the league association “a formal application in a timely manner in order to exempt the DFL executive committee from the final mandate issued by the general meeting,” it continued. In the vote in December, 24 of the 36 clubs from the Bundesliga and 2nd Bundesliga voted for an investor to come in, meaning the necessary two-thirds majority was achieved.
However, there is uncertainty about Hanover’s child. The parent club’s management had instructed him to vote against the proposal. The managing director remains silent about his voting behavior, but it is likely that he resisted the instructions.
DFL insists on decision
The DFL had recently rejected the demand for a new vote made by Bundesliga clubs VfB Stuttgart and Union Berlin, among others; it insists that the decision was “effective and lawful”.
The Cologne club management apparently sees this differently. The FC represents “the position that one of the most far-reaching decisions ever for German professional football, with a commitment period of up to 20 years, must not be legitimized with the help of legal expert assessments and reports, but rather on the basis of an undisputed decision,” quoted the Sportschau.
On Tuesday, the US investment company Blackstone announced that it was no longer available for a strategic marketing partnership. The DFL is now relying on the private equity company CVC. For weeks, fans have been protesting in the stadiums of the Bundesliga against the entry of an investor.