Bundesliga: According to the Cartel Office assessment: League wants “solidarity solution”

“The position of the Presidium is clear and well known: The 50+1 rule is a central component of German football. It is an important step that the Federal Cartel Office does not raise any fundamental concerns about the rule in its final assessment,” said league president Hans-Joachim Watzke and emphasized: “It is now necessary to find solutions in the league association with all 36 clubs in the Bundesliga and 2nd Bundesliga.”

Cartel Office expresses concerns

After the proceedings had been concluded, the Federal Cartel Office provided information to the Bundesliga umbrella organization so that the rule could continue to be applied in a legally secure manner in the future. The rule essentially states that investors cannot take over a majority of votes in the corporations of associations.

The Bundesliga must ensure that fans have a say and open access to membership, said Andreas Mundt, President of the Federal Cartel Office. This can be understood as an indication to RB Leipzig to open the registered club to additional members. The Cartel Office also sees a need for improvement in the protection of existing support clubs. There are currently exceptions for VfL Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen.

The 50+1 rule essentially states that investors cannot take over a majority of votes in the corporations of clubs.