DFL Chancellor re-affirms support for Watzke in re-election
In a recent meeting, Hans-Joachim Watzke was re-elected as the chairman of the supervisory board of the DFL GmbH with a majority of 36 votes. The DFL, the governing body of football in Germany, is facing several challenges and controversies, with Watzke at the helm.
One of the key issues is the ongoing review of the 50+1 rule by the Federal Cartel Office. This regulation prevents investors from taking a majority of the votes in the capital companies of clubs, a principle that Watzke and other supporters, including Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, believe is crucial for maintaining the involvement of society in football.
The 2025/2026 season will see the DFL generate around 218 million euros from TV contracts, the same as in the previous season. However, the Spanish La Liga takes in approximately three times as much in international TV revenues, highlighting a significant gap that the DFL needs to bridge.
The Premier League, England's top football league, is far ahead in terms of international TV revenues, earning almost ten times as much as the DFL. Watzke believes that German football must focus on nurturing more talented players, particularly those aged 16 to 18, to compete with the English.
Another challenge for the DFL is maintaining the international competitiveness of its clubs, with the Premier League earning significantly more money than them. Watzke has expressed his concern about the Federal Cartel Office's communication regarding the 50+1 rule, which has changed several times, and believes that collective consideration is necessary to find solutions to the 50+1 rule issue, not just for Leverkusen and Wolfsburg, which currently have exceptions to the rule.
The cartel office has asked the league association to improve the 50+1 rule, stating that it must ensure a legally secure application of the rule in the future. It no longer appears possible to provide a permanent exemption from the proposed conditions for VfL Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen, the current exceptions to the rule.
Bernd Neuendorf, a proponent of improved talent promotion in Germany, has launched projects like the "Year of the School" to support schools through coaching, materials, and partnerships. These initiatives aim to improve physical activity and quality school sports, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the broader football development system including the DFL.
Fernando Carro, CEO of Bayer Leverkusen, was elected to the DFL's supervisory board despite being a representative of an exception to the 50+1 rule. Carro received all the votes, with potential opponents withdrawing after sessions the previous evening.
The necessary vote of the clubs on the new regulation at a general meeting has been postponed several times. The deadline for the DFL and the affected clubs to submit statements to the cartel office has been extended to mid-October.
As the DFL navigates these challenges, Watzke remains committed to upholding the 50+1 rule and nurturing the next generation of German football talent. The future of German football will be closely watched as these issues unfold.
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