On October 6, the Presidium of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga issued a statement confirming its continued adherence to the 50+1 rule and announcing plans to propose a unified reform framework in the first half of 2027.

Previously, the German Federal Cartel Office had issued its final assessment of the 50+1 rule in August, concluding that the rule generally complies with competition law. However, it also identified areas requiring adjustment in the current system, including funding exceptions, club openness, and internal league organizational rules. The DFL stated its intention to enhance the legal certainty of the rule while preserving 50+1 as a fundamental principle of professional football and to build broad consensus through consultation with member clubs.

Statement Content

The Presidium of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga (Bundesliga e.V.) held a closed-door meeting last week to discuss comprehensively the final assessment report on the 50+1 rule issued by the German Federal Cartel Office on August 12, 2026.

Subsequently, on Monday of this week in Frankfurt, the Presidium met with all Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga clubs to discuss the framework proposed by the Federal Cartel Office in its final assessment, aimed at further strengthening the legal certainty of the 50+1 rule, and to determine next steps.

The Presidium of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga issued the following statement regarding the future of the 50+1 rule:

1. The Presidium of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga supports the 50+1 rule.

The Presidium believes that the 50+1 rule is a core fundamental principle of German professional football and an important foundation for professional football to be deeply integrated into German society.

This position is consistent with a related resolution from March 2018 in which clubs voted by majority at the General Assembly to initiate a process to "improve legal certainty and further consider adjusting relevant framework conditions while preserving the 50+1 rule."

On the basis of clear support for the 50+1 rule, the Presidium of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga will seek confirmation at the League's General Assembly in December 2026 for the continued adherence to the 50+1 rule as a core fundamental principle of German professional football.

The Presidium stated that, given the significant strategic and sports policy importance of the 50+1 rule, collective support from the vast majority of clubs is necessary to provide a legitimate basis for this fundamental direction.

2. The final assessment by the German Federal Cartel Office provides a basis for strengthening the legal certainty of the 50+1 rule.

The German Federal Cartel Office has confirmed that the 50+1 rule is generally lawful from an antitrust law perspective and acknowledges that it can qualify as an exception to European antitrust law and prohibitions on abusive conduct.

The Federal Cartel Office believes that, although the 50+1 rule imposes certain restrictions on market competition, it is justified if its objective is to ensure opportunities for broader social groups to participate in professional football.

To ensure uniform formulation and implementation of the 50+1 rule across all clubs, the Federal Cartel Office identified areas requiring adjustment, such as youth development and support for related exception clauses, club openness, and league organizational rules, and proposed alternative frameworks for these adjustments.

The DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga must address these identified adjustment needs within the solutions proposed by the Federal Cartel Office.

Final decisions regarding the 50+1 rule and implementation of the Federal Cartel Office's opinions and recommendations will be made by the General Assembly, comprising the 36 clubs of the league.

This includes decisions on corresponding amendments to the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga statutes.

3. The goal is to reach consensus within the league to strengthen the legal certainty of the 50+1 rule.

The Presidium of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga will submit a final proposal to the league in the first half of 2027 to ensure uniform formulation and implementation of the 50+1 rule across all member clubs.

It is clear that how the league handles the 50+1 rule will continue to impact Germany's two professional leagues and internal league cooperation for many years to come.

In the interest of all stakeholders, a widely supported solution is most likely to avoid long-term legal disputes, thereby genuinely and consistently strengthening the legal certainty of the 50+1 rule.

Conversely, premature or hasty decisions at the league level could undermine rather than strengthen the legal certainty of this rule.

Therefore, in-depth discussions are needed in the coming weeks and months, requiring all relevant participants to engage with a high degree of responsibility.

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