In a debate with DFB managing director Andreas Rettig, long-time Hannover 96 boss Martin Kind once again criticized the 50+1 rule and the structures in German professional football. “The DFL is a cartel, that is my deepest conviction,” said Kind at the “Big Bang AI Festival” in Berlin. “We do not have a competitive market. It is distorted beyond belief. Under these conditions, we have no chance of ever getting close to FC Bayern.”
The 80-year-old entrepreneur has been calling for German professional clubs to be opened up to more capital for years. As the majority shareholder in Hannover 96, he therefore wanted to obtain an exemption from the 50+1 rule, which limits the influence of external investors. And that is why he was also in favor of an investor joining the German Football League, which failed at the beginning of the year after massive fan protests.
Criticism of Watzke: “Huge damage”
“The people in charge in the future will have to explain to me how they intend to push through any decision,” said Kind. “They have sent the signal: if you have enough balls and are loud enough, then we will no longer implement any reforms.” DFL executive committee spokesman Hans-Joachim Watzke has “caused enormous damage to German football” by stopping the investor deal.
DFB official and long-time club manager Rettig, on the other hand, defended the limitation of investor influence: “If 50+1 is overturned, we will end up with a Forbes table and not a sports table,” he said.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240913-930-231327/1
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