2024-02-19 17:45:28
The DFL investor deal has been the main topic in the Bundesliga stadiums for weeks. Now there seems to be a turnaround in the dispute between fans and clubs.
The DFL presidium is apparently having another vote on investor entry. This was reported by “Sport Bild” on Monday. Accordingly, the top management of the association will meet on Wednesday to discuss further steps. First, two information meetings should be prepared for the end of February, in which the clubs in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga will receive an overview of the negotiations with interested parties CVC.
An extraordinary general meeting is then planned, in which a new vote will be taken.
The 36 clubs in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga had already voted once in December and barely achieved the necessary two-thirds majority (24 yes votes). The non-transparent voting process and the result caused anger among the active fan scenes of many clubs. In recent weeks there have been increasing protests, with fan groups sometimes blocking individual games for half an hour.
This is what the DFL investor deal is about
A financial investor is expected to pay one billion euros for a percentage share of the TV revenue. There is currently only one interested party: the Luxembourg financial company CVC. The contract should have a maximum term of 20 years and be signed by the start of the 2024/25 season. The league wants to use the money primarily to expand its infrastructure. This includes digitization and internationalization as well as the development of our own streaming platform. Critics fear that the deal could result in games being relocated abroad, the match day being split up further and football becoming more and more expensive.
Since then, the pressure on the DFL has increased as some clubs followed the wishes of the fan community and called for new elections. 1. FC Köln had already submitted an application in this regard. Hanover’s managing director Martin Kind, who is considered a supporter of the deals, said on Sunday on NDR’s “Sportclub”: “They will all jump ship.”
Headwind from the fans
After six companies initially expressed interest in the deal, only one remains, CVC. Blackstone bailed out last week. Child: “I completely understand. I would have done the same thing if I had responsibility at Blackstone. They need partners they can rely on. And the DFL is not making a strong impression at the moment.”
However, there is strong headwind for the deal among fans far beyond the active fan scenes. A representative survey by the “FanQ” platform in collaboration with the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences showed that more than 62 percent of German football fans reject the entry of an investor. Around three quarters consider protests against the deal to be appropriate (76.8 percent). The opinion of t-online readers also seems to be clear: more than 80 percent described the entry of an investor as a mistake.