German antitrust office backs 50+1 rule but orders reforms for four clubs

After a lengthy examination, Germany's Federal Cartel Office issued its final assessment of the Bundesliga's 50+1 ownership rule, giving the regulation a solid legal footing while highlighting inconsistencies. The authority accepted that the rule limits investment competition but deemed the preservation of club identity and member participation adequate under EU competition law. It stressed that the rule must be enforced consistently, criticizing historic benefactor exemptions for Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg as inadequate.

RB Leipzig received a directive to provide ordinary supporters with real voting membership, and Hannover 96 was questioned over a secret ballot involving supervisory board member Martin Kind. The Bundeskartellamt’s message is clear: the 50+1 framework can survive, but selective application cannot. The DFL now faces a mandate to align club structures with the agency’s recommendations.