Bundeskartellamt: 50+1 rule remains, but Leverkusen and Wolfsburg worry!

Bundeskartellamt: 50+1 rule remains, but Leverkusen and Wolfsburg worry!

The Federal Cartel Office has clarified in a current message to German Football League (DFL) that the 50+1 rule remains, but adjustments are required. This decision was published on June 16, 2025. The President of the Federal Cartel Office, Andreas Mundt, at the same time called for a waiver of exceptions for individual clubs, especially for Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg. This makes it clear that a reform of the rule is necessary to create competitive conditions evenly for all clubs in the Bundesliga and 2nd Bundesliga, since in these two cases there is a lack of a dominant influence of the mother association on the professional departments. This situation represents a deviation from the principles of the 50+1 rule, which says that the majority of the voice shares must always be with the mother club.

The DFL is now asked to ensure that all clubs have open access to membership. There are also concerns about memberships at RB Leipzig and the votes around Martin Kind at Hannover 96. The Federal Cartel Office also calls for the DFL to consider the evaluations of the 50+1 rule in the event of their own votes.

adjustments and transition periods

Although the DFL has been asked to implement the recommendations of the Federal Cartel Office, an immediate implementation is not absolutely necessary. A longer transition period could be justified. This gives the affected clubs the opportunity to adapt to the new circumstances. However, VfL Wolfsburg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen have already announced not to accept the opinion of the Federal Cartel Office and reserve the right to be legal options. RB Leipzig, on the other hand, calls for a consistent application of the rule for all 36 clubs.

The fan alliance "Fan scenes of Germany" criticizes the DFL and demands a clear application of the 50+1 rule to protect the interests of the fans. This regulation, which aims to limit investors and external investors, is now again up for debate. The focus is on the reaction of the DFL and the upcoming steps to guarantee the integrity of competition in German football.

The current discussion about the 50+1 rule was also initiated by a judgment of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) from the end of 2023, which raises new questions. The review of this rule was already initiated by the Federal Cartel Office in 2018 at the request of the DFL, but the desired compromise between the DFL and the clubs concerned could not be implemented until today, although it was already advocated by the Federal Cartel Office in 2021.

For a detailed evaluation of the current developments for the 50+1 rule, read more at Sportschau and SPIEGEL .