Chancellor confirms Watzke's re-election in the DFL, maintaining his positions of authority.

The German Football League (DFL) is currently embroiled in a discussion surrounding a personnel matter and the future of the 50+1 rule. The rule, which prevents investors from acquiring a majority of the votes in football club capital companies, has been a contentious issue for some time.

The Federal Cartel Office has requested the league association to improve the implementation of the 50+1 rule during its review. However, there are exceptions for VfL Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen, which have raised concerns. According to the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), a permanent grandfathering under the proposed conditions does not seem possible.

The DFL and the affected clubs have been given an extended deadline to submit statements to the cartel office, until mid-October. Meanwhile, Fernando Carro, CEO of Bayer Leverkusen, has been elected to the DFL supervisory board.

In a surprising turn of events, Hans-Joachim Watzke, spokesperson of the DFL's presidium, was unanimously re-elected as the chairman of the supervisory board of the DFL GmbH. Watzke has expressed support for the 50+1 rule but has also voiced concerns about its application and the international competitiveness of German clubs, particularly in comparison to the Premier League and La Liga.

Watzke's potential opposition in the re-election was withdrawn after sessions the day before, with Carro receiving all the votes. The international revenue from TV deals for the DFL is stagnating, generating around 218 million euros for the 2025/2026 season.

The political party that officially supported the 50+1 rule in the Bundesliga before Watzke's re-election was the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany). Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also endorsed the 50+1 rule, stating that he finds the current solution good. However, Merz sees restrictions with the rule and has expressed some reservations.

Watzke sees the issue of Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg's exceptions to the 50+1 rule as a collective problem for German football. He believes that Germany had more talented players aged 16 to 18 in the past and needs to focus on that area.

The necessary vote of the clubs on the new regulation at a general meeting has been postponed several times. Watzke has also expressed frustration over the communication of the Federal Cartel Office, which had changed its stance multiple times.

Looking ahead, Watzke aims for the presidency of Borussia Dortmund at the member meeting in November. The stakes are high, as the future of the 50+1 rule and the international competitiveness of German football hang in the balance.

Chancellor confirms Watzke's re-election in the DFL, maintaining his positions of authority.