The Federal Cartel Office, or Bundeskartellamt, is an agency that oversees the obedience of competition laws in Germany.
It confirmed in a report the 50+1 rule complies with German competition and European Union competition laws.
However, it also highlighted some issues around clubs that are currently operating under exception.
Current rules state that investors who are the club’s single biggest financial contributors for over 20 consecutive years can apply for an exemption from the rule.
Bayer Leverkusen, who won their first league title in 2023-24 under now-Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso, have a long-term sponsorship with chemical conglomerate Bayer – but they are an exception to the 50+1 rule because they meet the requirements of an investor substantially supporting a club for at least 20 years.
VfL Wolfsburg were founded and are still owned by the members and employees of Volkswagen, so they also meet the historical grounds exception.
RB Leipzig are Red Bull-owned, and are also an exception, but are “a bit of a different concern” compared to the other clubs mentioned, according to Eckner.
“Leipzig is, on paper, a non-profit club. It’s a younger club, formerly a small club in the suburbs, and right now they restrict membership in a sense,” says Eckner.
“Leipzig have 1100 members, but only a fraction of those members possess voting rights, so they are restricting membership.
“According to the laws for non-profit clubs in Germany, which could also apply to social clubs, for example, you should have open access to membership.
“Restriction of membership can only be due to certain circumstances. Leipzig are an exception right now, because the Bundesliga accepts the practices of the club, but there is concern that they don’t have open membership.”
In Eckner’s view, this “needs to be changed”.
“But it’s also tough on the Bundesliga,” he says, “because the three clubs I just mentioned, especially Leipzig and Leverkusen, are quite powerful and might challenge any decision made by the Bundesliga in court.”
