July 20 – Hannover 96 failed in its bid to get an exemption from Germany’s 50+1 ruling to allow the Bundlesliga club’s president Martin Kind (pictured) to take control, but has said it will appeal against the German Football League (DFL) ruling.
The 50+1 rule ensures that a club must hold a majority of its own voting rights and is designed to protect the clubs from the influence of external investors. The +1 ensures that the club’s members still hold a majority of voting rights.
Exemptions to the rule are allowed – bit infrequently granted – to enable clubs to raise money when financial difficulties arise.
Kind made his exemption claim under the “substantial support” criteria that allows the rule to be waived if an individual has funded the club’s budget over a 20-year period equal or more than the club’s main sponsor.
The DFL ruled that Kind hadn’t put in enough money over the 20-year period to gain exemption from the rule.
Hannover 96 in a club statement said the ruling was “incomprehensible and obviously wrong”, saying that it would take “all necessary and legal steps” to allow the club to continue developing. An appeal can be made to a German arbitration court for professional sports leagues.
DFL president Reinhard Rauball said: “This decision was far from simple for the board. We have examined the situation intensively and comprehensively over several months in the interests of the applicants as well as the community of all 36 DFL clubs. As the competent body, the final analysis of the board systematically applies the DFL Statutes in a way that is consistent with the uniform interpretation set out in the guidelines, including with a view to upholding the principle of equal treatment.”
Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg (Volkswagen-owned) and Hoffenheim (owned by SAP boss Dietmar Hopp) all have exemptions to the 50+1 rule. Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 voted to retain the 50+1 ownership model last March.
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