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Federal Cartel Office calls on DFL to make changes to the 50+1 rule!
The Federal Cartel Office is calling for changes to the 50+1 rule in German football to ensure fair competition conditions.
Federal Cartel Office calls on DFL to make changes to the 50+1 rule!
On June 16, 2025, the Federal Cartel Office presented its results on the 50+1 rule in German football. The authority announced that there are no fundamental concerns about this rule, but that application adjustments are necessary. The 50+1 rule ensures that external investors cannot influence the majority of the voting rights of the 36 clubs in the first and second Bundesliga. Andreas Mundt, President of the Federal Cartel Office, emphasized that all clubs must have homogeneous competitive conditions and called for the traditional exceptions for Bayer 04 Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg to be abolished. These clubs currently do not have parent clubs that exert a dominant influence on the professional football departments, and Mundt sees a need for action here. Sportschau reports.
What is the situation of the clubs? Both VfL Wolfsburg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen do not agree with the Federal Cartel Office's view. They reserve the right to take legal action to clarify their current situation. An exception applies to these clubs, which is based on long-term funding. In contrast, critics such as the fan alliance “Fan Scenes of Germany” have clear demands for consistent application of the 50+1 rule and express frustration at the failure of the German Football League (DFL) to find a uniform solution for this. Transfermarkt reports.
The role of the DFL
The DFL now has the task of ensuring that all Bundesliga and second division clubs have open access to membership and that the 50+1 rule is observed in their own votes. The authority is calling on the DFL to take concrete action to ensure legally secure application of the rule. After a statement from the affected associations and investors, the Federal Cartel Office plans to finalize the recommendations and conclude the procedure. Andreas Mundt also emphasized the need for fans to have a say at all clubs and in the decision-making processes. ZDF reports.
Another point raised by Mundt concerns the open questions surrounding the new membership of fans at RB Leipzig. What is required here is that this club also meets requirements that guarantee the same fair access as should be the case with the other clubs. The DFL, which already discussed initial approaches to changing the 50+1 rule in 2023, now has to deal intensively with the new situation.
The discussion surrounding the 50+1 rule clearly shows that the topic will have far-reaching effects on the future structure of German football. Fans and clubs are watching developments closely, because the continued existence of this rule could be crucial for how clubs act in the future and whether the influence of investors in German football grows or not.