BVB Managing Director Carsten Cramer has ruled out free tickets at his club based on the example of second division Fortuna Düsseldorf.
“I can’t imagine that here at all, not only because of the fact that demand clearly exceeds supply,” said Cramer at the “Neuland” future congress in Aachen.
The Düsseldorf team, whose club boss Alexander Jobst was also on the podium, want to sell three games to sponsors in the coming season under the motto “Fortuna for everyone” and thus grant spectators free entry. In the long term, this should apply to all games.
Cramer explained that football must “remain affordable”. And he finds it “legitimate and initially positive to think differently. And I find it courageous to deal with creative business models”.
Managing director Christian Keller from 1. FC Köln explained that an approach like that in Düsseldorf had not been discussed before, but that developments were being closely monitored.
“I always find it interesting when a competitor tries to break new ground,” said Keller. “That’s why we’ll take a close look and see if we can learn anything. Good copying is never forbidden.”