The fight for TV money: The professional football bargain the billions

Christian Seifert know only too well how fierce the battle for coal is conducted. "I'm already a couple of years. The debate around the distribution of money was always at least as strenuous as the tendering“, commented the head of the German football League (DFL), the bickering of the 36 professional clubs, the fight already just redeemed for 4.4 billion euros of media money. Before the meeting of the DFL Executive Committee on Wednesday, when the way to a decision on the distribution key at the end of the year should be, have placed the bearing in position.

On the one hand, the top clubs Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who want to keep the Status quo, especially. The Argument of both clubs is like always been, the international competitiveness, should be respected. Quite different is the small and medium-sized clubs like Werder Bremen, Fortuna Düsseldorf, FC Augsburg and FSV Mainz 05 will see the. You don't want to accept that the gap between the Poor and the rich will continue. Therefore, they demand that the funds should be distributed for the seasons 2021/22 to 2024/25 (1.1 billion euros per season) differently than in the past.

Klaus Filbry made it clear what many haunts. "I think that all have now understood that it would also be if a Generation of children grows up, the experienced only Bayern Munich as Champions," said Bremen managing Director of the Weser-Kurier. In fact, the nine members of the DFL must be set-Bureau the question of the redistribution from the top to the bottom. Finally, a League that has been awarded for the eighth Time in a row with the same champion loses in attractiveness and revenue. The also Seifert, the the situation is nevertheless differentiated white.

draft horses and want to stay strong

The dominance of Bayern was "an aspect that must be taken into account, but not the only one. That our media want a partner and a spectator of exciting decisions, but it is out of the question," said the Bureau's spokesperson: "I wish for a discussion with decency, foresight and solidarity in all directions. But even with the performance-orientation that it requires, if you move in professional sports.“

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throbbing is Exactly what Bayern and BVB. "If you try to weaken the forces in the League, then it weakens the whole League," said Dortmund managing Director Hans-Joachim Watzke the Newspapers of the Funke media group. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge does not want to shake the foundations of current practice. "In Germany there is a very solidary, equitable distribution of TV money," said the Bayern Board boss in the Handelsblatt. According to the calculations of the kicker, Bayern have conceded in the past season as the leader of the all-time money list with a total of 65.4 million euros, for the conclusion of the light of Düsseldorf 25.4 million remained.

How difficult it is to satisfy everyone and showed the trouble in the preparation of the current distribution key. After each lot of Trouble, the Bureau agreed in November 2016 on a complicated construct, which is based on seven pillars. The main criterion of success, the five-year rating of 70 percent. The at that time didn't fit in front of all the traditional clubs. They had unsuccessfully called for a consideration of "softer" factors, such as the numbers of spectators in the stadium and on TV.

Haggle with the DFB

Now the situation has changed, however. Since August of last year, the Bureau of representatives of medium-sized and small Clubs dominated. So, among other things, the SC Freiburg, the 1 is. FC Köln, FC St. Pauli Darmstadt 98 and Holstein Kiel represented. Can't overtighten the wheel, but also, because, otherwise, especially the Bavarians could design the horror-scenario of your migration to a possible European Superleague.