Federal Cartel Office: 50+1 rule remains - DFL must act now!

Federal Cartel Office: 50+1 rule remains - DFL must act now!

On June 16, 2025, the Federal Cartel Office announced its preliminary assessment of the 50+1 rule, which is causing a lot of discussion in the football scene. The authority concludes that the regulations are fundamentally compatible with national and European antitrust law, but under three crucial conditions. These conditions particularly affect the Bundesliga clubs Bayer 04 Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg, which benefit from special exceptions.

For the DFL and its clubs, this means that there will no longer be any exceptions to the 50+1 rule in the future. This is intended to ensure that members and fans have the necessary participation in their clubs. The DFL must also guarantee transparency in the voting membership of the clubs, which is particularly important for RB Leipzig, whose club structure is coming under scrutiny. In addition, the DFL is required to be bound by its instructions regarding professional clubs. These important points are the result of an extensive review process that began in 2018 at the request of the DFL.

The conditions in detail

The Federal Cartel Office has formulated clear recommendations for the DFL:

• Einheitliche Wettbewerbsbedingungen für alle Bundesliga- und Zweitligateams.
• Offener Zugang zur Mitgliedschaft, um den Fan- und Mitgliederrechten Rechnung zu tragen.
• Beachtung der 50+1-Regel bei DFL-Abstimmungen.
• Nachbesserungen der Bestandsschutzregeln für ehemals geförderte Klubs.

These recommendations should not only be seen as legal requirements, but also as an opportunity to strengthen fan engagement and ensure the compatibility of club management.

The long road to clarity

The legal disputes surrounding the 50+1 rule have been dragging on for years. While the DFL 2024 emphasized that this rule is a central element of its statutes, recent ECJ case law made it clear that the soundness of this rule is in question. A judgment on Super League and other landmark decisions meant that the DFL had to rethink its approach. Many newcomers to the Bundesliga called for a review of the exemptions for Leverkusen and Wolfsburg.

The ownership status and the influence of investors in German football are also at the center of the discussions. Hannover 96 managing director Martin Kind is facing allegations that put him on the defensive during a vote on investor participation in December 2023. A court has already ruled that long-term grandfathering is no longer permitted for clubs like Leverkusen and Wolfsburg, which increases pressure on the DFL to bring about rapid and comprehensive changes.

In summary, it can be said: There is a lot of work ahead of the DFL to make the 50+1 rule future-proof. The consultation of the clubs and the consent of the members to the necessary changes are essential so that German football can not only preserve but also strengthen its tradition of club democracy and fan participation. The coming months are crucial for the development of the rule: the DFL must show that it has a good hand in meeting the demands of everyone involved.