The dispute over investor entry into German professional football continues to escalate.
The major fan representatives violently attacked the German Football League (DFL) on Friday. In a joint statement, the supporters accused the league association of ignorance and again called for the vote to be repeated. The fans announced further protests and are demanding that the professional clubs unite in seeking a new vote.
In the past few days, several club bosses have already spoken out in favor of a repeat of the vote on December 11th. At that time, the investor entry was waved through at the meeting of the 36 first and second division clubs with an exact two-thirds majority of 24 votes.
Managing director Martin Kind of Hannover 96 is said to have also agreed to this, contrary to his club’s instructions – which would raise big questions about the 50+1 rule. Without this vote the result would have been overturned. Since the vote, fans have been protesting more and more violently in the stadiums against the investment of investors.
The DFL is coming under increasing pressure. Actually, the leadership around managing directors Marc Lenz and Steffen Merkel wanted to conclude the deal with a donor soon. Two interested parties are still in the running.
The financial investors CVC and Blackstone want to acquire shares in a DFL subsidiary, to which all media rights are outsourced, for 20 years. A minority stake of a maximum of eight percent is planned. This is expected to raise one billion euros.