Borussia Dortmund captain Emre Can wants an end to the fan protests in German football stadiums.
“Without the fans, football wouldn’t be what it is, everyone knows that. But if I can express my opinion, then I think it’s good at some point. We suffer extremely from it and lose our rhythm. That’s why I hope that “It will soon come to an end,” said the national player to “Sky” after the 1-1 draw in the Bundesliga with VfL Wolfsburg.
VfL Wolfsburg’s duel with Borussia Dortmund was temporarily interrupted because fans threw tennis balls onto the grass in protest against the entry of an investor into the German Football League (DFL). The DFL wants to collect one billion euros from a financial investor for a percentage share of the TV revenue.
When the 36 professional clubs voted on the deal, the necessary two-thirds majority was only barely achieved. Since then, the voting behavior of Hanover’s majority shareholder Martin Kind, who was instructed by his club to vote against entry, has been under discussion. It is unclear whether his vote may have secured the necessary majority.
Dortmund’s sports director Sebastian Kehl described the ongoing protests as “not beneficial for everyone involved in the long term.” You have to take fears and worries seriously, you live in a democracy.
“We just have to get to a point again at some point where we start a dialogue and solve the problem. Because I don’t know how things will continue in this form. It’s not fun for many spectators in the stadium, nor for the players – and the game also suffers from it,” said Kehl.