German fan protests: What is the Bundesliga's investor plan?
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Loading... - Reeta Korhonen
- 17 Apr 2023
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The Bundesliga is hoping to secure a multi-billion-euro investment deal with private equity firms. Opposed to further commercialization, German fans are up in arms. What are the fans so mad about?
Towering above the city of Dortmund and dominating the skyline is a huge, yellow letter "U," perched atop the building which once housed the "Dortmunder Union" brewery.
On Saturday, however, the phrase "Dortmunder Union" took on a different meaning as supporters of Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin united in a joint protest against the German Football League (DFL).
"No to investors in the DFL!" read the huge yellow and black banner across the front of the famous "Südtribüne" (or south stand) at the start of the second half, backed up by dozens of similar messages held up across terrace, some more polite in tone than others.
"Stop the marketing madness!" was the corresponding message in red and white from the away end.
The banners were part of a coordinated nationwide protest by German football supporters against the DFL's latest plans to boost investment in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 and enable German clubs to better compete internationally. Supporters fear another step in what they perceive as the over-commercialization of the game.
Particularly in terms of broadcasting rights, the Bundesliga lags well behind England's Premier League, whose current international rights deal — €6.3 billion ($6.9 billion) between 2022 and 2025 — dwarfs that of Germany's top flight, which sits at €170 million ($187 million) per year.
Just last month, Borussia Dortmund's Champions League defeat to Premier League side, Chelsea, a club which has this season spent more (€611.5 million, $672 million) than the entire Bundesliga combined (€555 million), demonstrated the financial gulf between the two leagues. Read More…
