The German Football Association will receive more money from the German Football League in the future.
Instead of the previous 26 million euros, the DFL will pay the DFB between 34.5 and 39 million euros per season. This is regulated by the new basic contract, which will come into effect on July 1st, the cornerstones of which the two associations published on Friday. The DFB only has to pay the league association 12.5 million euros a year instead of the previous 20 million in order to be allowed to advertise with the national players of the clubs.
In the years of the European Championship or World Cup, the DFB has to transfer two million more to the DFL. The previous storage fee to the clubs in the amount of 600,000 euros is no longer applicable.
“We have found a good solution together with the DFL for the benefit of our more than 24,000 clubs,” said DFB President Bernd Neuendorf. The new basic agreement is “a visible expression of the unity of German football.” The DFL supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke admitted: “Of course, in times of scarce financial resources, it was a very difficult process.” Watzke rated the result “for everyone involved” as a “workable compromise”.
Significant Disagreements
The basic contract, which is now valid until June 30, 2029, regulates the annual cash flows between the DFB and DFL. The league participates, among other things, in the income from the marketing of the national team and in the surpluses of the DFB from world and European championships. In view of the disappointing performance at the 2018 World Cup, the 2021 European Championship and the 2022 World Cup, these were recently significantly lower than in the previous tournament years.
The DFL will continue to receive a 50 percent share of possible economic surpluses at upcoming European Championship or World Cup tournaments for the men’s senior national team. In return, the DFB shares in the income from media rights and ticket sales of the league, among other things.
Tensions between the DFB and DFL over money flows have a long tradition. There had also been considerable disagreements in the run-up to the deal that had now been concluded: there was even talk of a possible break between the DFB and DFL. The DFB is currently in financial difficulties after being revoked its non-profit status twice for a number of years due to tax affairs. Watzke had emphasized that the Bundesliga could not be “fully comprehensive insurance for the mistakes of the DFB in the past”.