BERLIN (AP) – If the German Football League thought it had put an end to Fan opposites against outside investors, it turned out to be wrong on Sunday.
Supporters of Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt showed banners at their teams’ respective matches in support of German football’s 50 Plus 1 rule, which limits the influence of an outside investor on a club. The rule states that club members must maintain control of the right to vote – at least 50% and one vote.
“50 plus 1 is the foundation of our sport. Football lives on its Fans!”Dortmund fans declared on banners during their team’s 3-2 defeat to Hoffenheim.
Frankfurt fans briefly interrupted their team’s match against Wolfsburg by throwing small plastic balls behind one of the field goals at the beginning of the second half. At least one small plastic pig was also thrown and landed next to one of the goalposts.
The Fans also held up a huge banner in which Volkswagen Wolfsburg mauled with an expletive that the “investors club” should be excluded from the German football federation for not complying with the 50 + 1 rule.
The match was interrupted for about six minutes, while the objects were removed before the match continued with a 2-1 lead from Wolfsburg. Omar Marmoush scored in extra time for a 2-2 draw for Frankfurt.
Sunday’s opposites took place despite the German Football League’s decision midweek to cancel its arguable plan to sell a share of the clubs’ future media rights revenue to an outside investor in exchange for an advance payment.
Frankfurt supporters have rejected Wolfsburg’s status as opposed to Their Own, where the majority of Fans have a say in how the club is run.
The VfL Wolfsburg multisport club was founded in 1945, just seven years after the city of Wolfsburg itself was created for the workers of Volkswagenwerk. Wolfsburg is still supported by the German car manufacturer, one of the only two exceptions to the 50 Plus 1 rule.
Bayer Leverkusen is the other exception because it was created for the workers of the Bayer factory. The pharmaceutical giant still owns the Club. Wolfsburg and Leverkusen both get 50-plus-1 exemptions because they have had the same supporters for more than 20 years.
Hoffenheim was another exception, but backer Dietmar Hopp returned most of his voting rights to the club last year to bring it into line with the rule.
Leipzig, founded by Red Bull in 2009, has addressed the 50 Plus 1 rule by limiting membership to a few selected members associated with the energy drink manufacturer.
The rule was strengthened last year when it was approved by the Bundeskartellamt, but it remains a sticking point for Fans and club officials, whose interests are often revealed.
The American investment group 777 Partners acquired Hertha Berlin as the majority shareholder last year, but the club members still retain the majority of the voting rights.
The League’s recent plan to attract an outside investor for a share of the media rights revenue has led to numerous opposites in Germany’s top two divisions over the past two weekends. No further opposites were expected after leaving The idea on Wednesday.
Union Berlin fans celebrated the League’s decision on Saturday, among other things, and Dortmund Fans followed on Sunday with a banner that said: “match, set and Match – the winner is football.”