Bundeskartellamt upholds Germany's 50+1 football rule

The German Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) has ruled that the ‘50+1 rule’ in professional football is compatible with German antitrust law. The regulation, which ensures that club members retain a majority of voting rights to prevent external investors from taking full control, was found to be justifiable for the purposes of ‘club identity and member participation.’

The authority concluded that there is ‘no public interest’ in fully opening the league to external investors. However, the agency emphasized that the rule must be applied consistently and without distinction across all clubs in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. This directive specifically targets clubs that may not provide equal access to membership and fan participation, such as RB Leipzig, and suggests that previous exceptions for works-related clubs like Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg must be addressed to ensure uniform application.