OPINION
The planned DFL investor deal is off the table for the time being. At the general meeting, the motion could not achieve a two-thirds majority. The clubs are thus sending a clear signal against a hasty shot by their umbrella organization.
Whether it was the banners in the curves, the poor image of the potential investors or the unfair distribution of the money: for the time being, no external financiers will enter the DFL. It is a decision against quick money and for the natural growth of German professional football.
Investor entry burst: Clubs with a resounding slap in the face for the DFL management floor
The DFL management around Hans-Joachim Watzke and Axel Hellmann had tried for weeks to make the entry of a private equity company as palatable as possible for the member clubs. Two billion euros should flow, but the investor should receive 12.5 percent of the media income over 20 years. A further tattering of the game day would not be up for debate, nor would a say. But even before the vote, it became clear that the promises were more wishful thinking than commitments. The “Sportschau” reported in advance what the fans had feared: The investor would have a veto right for “particularly important decisions”. It would have been no less than the DFL sell-out.
Because two billion euros seems a lot at first glance. For the DFL’s goal of catching up with the Spanish and English leagues, it would have been a drop in the bucket. If you consider that the English Premier League already receives around two billion euros from TV money every year, it seems almost ridiculous that you assume that you can “catch up” with anyone with a one-off rain of money.
And what would have happened if the deal for the DFL had turned out to be a non-starter after a few years? If the top clubs like Bayern or Dortmund hadn’t regularly made it into the Champions League semi-finals and the rest of the league was languishing because they got much smaller pieces of the pie? You would have needed fresh money – from new investors. A rat race that cannot be won.
Professional clubs vote against quick money – and for sustainable growth
Yes, in the long run the DFL will need more money. Player salaries continue to rise, many clubs still have a gaping hole from the Corona period and inflation does the rest. But if you want more money, then please also with a sustainable plan and not from shady American investors who are only interested in one thing anyway: Earning money from their investment.
Sooner or later you would have had more problems with the billions than without them. The clubs have apparently recognized this, unlike the DFL. It is now up to her to present alternatives for making the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga more attractive, without forgetting the amateur clubs that are the foundation of German football.
We are still a football crazy country. The stadiums are full, the fans are perhaps the best in Europe. Anyone who does nothing with this potential (without an investor deal) is out of place.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
