TFT Whitepaper

The Fight Back
28
Bundesliga ‘50+1 Rule’
How does it affect the league?
Critics of the ‘50+1 rule’ argue that this model makes the Bundesliga less competitive
and weaker as a whole. Bayern Munich have achieved huge levels
of domestic dominance over the past two decades. It is argued that the ruling
prevents clubs without the same level of history from receiving significant private
investment and being able to compete financially with a club of Bayern’s stature.
This is reflected by the UEFA association coefficient ranking (www.uefa.com/
nationalassociations/uefarankings/country/#/yr/2021) which places
Germany fourth, slightly behind Italy but significantly behind England and Spain.
It suggests that the gap between Bayern Munich, who have seen European
success, and other Bundesliga clubs is shown on more than just the domestic
level. However, Germany are still above France in the UEFA association
coefficient ranking, where multiple clubs have received major private investment
over the past decade, including AS Monaco and PSG.
Another important aspect is the sustainability of clubs within Germany. The ruling
was introduced to safeguard clubs from private ownership with motives which
conflict with those of the fans and it has been largely successful in doing so. The
Bundesliga consistently boasts some of the highest average attendances across
Europe, with affordable ticket prices included. Subsequently, football fans from
other countries often use Germany as an example of how fan engaged football
clubs should be ran.