Für britische Fans ist es mehr als unverständlich, dass es in Deutschland Bestrebungen zum Verkauf von Vereinen geben kann – insbesondere aufgrund der eigenen Erfahrungen und der offensichtlichen Gefahr für die Vereine selbst. Die Dachorganisation der Supporters Trusts bringt dies in einem offenen Brief zur Sprache, welchen ihr weiter unten im Wortlaut finden könnt.
Dave Boyle, Vorstand von Supporters Direct, bringt die Problematik darin auf den Punkt: „Es wäre eine Tragödie, wenn deutsche Vereine wie in England werden würden, besonders jetzt, wo Liverpool-Fans versuchen 650 Mio. Euros zusammen zubekommen, um ihren Club zukünftig nach deutschem Vorbild ausrichten zu können“.
Nach den jahrelangen Fehlentwicklungen bemühen sich zahlreiche Supporters Trusts, den Mitgliedereinfluß im von Investoren dominierten Britannien durch Rückkauf von Vereinsanteilen zu stärken, wodurch eine Rückkehr zu basisorientiertem und fanfreundlichen Fußball erst wieder möglich wird.
Durch ihren Einsatz befinden sich 15 Vereine inzwischen wieder im Besitz der Mitglieder.
Supporters Direct
Supporters Direct would like to give our support to your initiatives and efforts to retain the 50+1 rule for Bundesliga clubs.
Supporters Direct promotes a European network for fan ownership by working with fan groups across Europe wanting help and advice on how they can become involved in the running of their clubs, to link clubs to their communities and promote good governance and sustainable football clubs.
The 50+1 rule guarantees the opportunity for fans/members to influence the limited company through the 50+1 stake in their parent club.
Currently, football clubs are still dependent on their members. If the 50+1 rule was removed, the members’ associations could lose their shares in their professional football units. Professional football would be less dependent on members and would be likely to lose the links to the community.
Chief Executive of Dave Boyle has said on this matter:
German football clubs are looked upon enviously by fans in the UK. Your stadiums are full, the tickets are affordable and your league is not about the same clubs at the top every year. It was be a tragedy if German clubs became more English, especially when Liverpool fans are trying to raise over 650M Euros to make their club more like a German club is now!
Football clubs are not businesses in the same way as other things are. Their commercial operations must always be for the good of the team and the club, but what we see in England is that the balance between the sporting and economic goals of the club have become unbalanced, and things are done to make a profit, not to make the team better.
German clubs have the strongest commercial revenues in Europe and it is English clubs who should look enviously at the strength of the Bundesliga, not the other way around.