Bayer Leverkusen supporters demand end to club ownership exemption

The Nordkurve12 supporters association of Bayer Leverkusen has called for the club to relinquish its longstanding exemption from Germany’s 50+1 ownership rule. The group is demanding that Bayer AG embrace meaningful fan participation and transparency, arguing that the same standards applied to the rest of German football should apply to Leverkusen.

This internal challenge comes as the Fanszenen Deutschlands alliance pressures the Bundesliga to eliminate all existing exemptions and implement recommendations from Germany’s Federal Cartel Office issued in August. The alliance is calling on Bundesliga clubs to commit to the 50+1 rule during the upcoming December membership assembly.

Currently, Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg benefit from special status under the rule, which allows for corporate ownership exemptions if an investor has significantly supported a club for at least 20 years. Nordkurve12 warned that any legal attempts by Bayer AG to defend or expand this special status could intensify disputes regarding the future of the 50+1 regulation.