Football – DFL and television money: The Bundesliga as a poisoned competition

If you take a closer look at how the media revenues in German professional football will be distributed in the future, you can get the following impression: With the German Football League (DFL), it is roughly the case in German politics with its many problem areas. One sounds the worries and needs of the people, also gives public approval, but when decisions are made behind closed doors, they only come out cosmetic corrections that only give the impression of ability to act.

So even with the new distribution key of the television money, everything is basically the same. When the TV revenue was taken out-as the DFL itself calls the procedure-again there was no will to be recognized. For most of the 36 license clubs, the approximately 1.3 billion euros per season are the most important pillar of income.

At the New Year’s reception of the DFL, many club representatives had hardly any illusions that there could be real changes. An increase in the proportion of the 2nd Bundesliga of 20 percent has never been realistic because their rights are not paid enough. But that the four pillars for the distribution of national proceeds (equal distribution, performance, interest, youngsters) remain unchanged in their percentage and the international income continues to go to the clubs that anyway European Cup participants benefit, all debates in the lead make superfluous.

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At the crucial moment, the demands come into deaf ears. Basically, league chief Hans-Joachim Watzke (Dortmund) wanted to maintain the status quo with the sound members such as Michael Diederich (Munich), Axel Hellmann (Frankfurt) and Oliver Leki (Freiburg). A mockery to divide five million euros from the DFL foreign proceeds for the clubs not playing in the European Cup. That is around 500,000 euros for these Bundesliga clubs – nothing more than a drop on the hot stone. And there is little to take into account membership figures and the switch -on rate in the future if the “interest” column remains in ridiculous three percent of the distribution.

The consequence of all this: The imbalances within the Bundesliga will continue to strengthen because the same clubs always play European – and only five or six candidates for the starting places in the Champions League are eligible. In addition to FC Bayern, Leverkusen and Leipzig will always remain, provided that the Bayer and the Red Bull group do not go bankrupt.

It is all the more astonishing how Dortmund just manages to gamble away his economic lead: the finalist BVB, like semi -finalist FCB, took around 100 million euros last season. Participation in the controversial club World Cup brings both of a further 30, 40, perhaps 50 million euros. Exactly, you don’t know yet. Somewhere FIFA President Gianni Infantino will find the money for his prestige project because he is in particular the European major clubs.

Such money is poison for the balance of national leagues. The DFL managing directors Steffen Merkel and Marc Lenz actually know the best, but neither strength nor courage and might and possibly do not do the conviction that changes are to be set at this point. The two young bosses each have a voice in the nine -member body that decided to distribute the television money for the next four years – and thus miss another chance.

There is a lot of imagination that Borussia Mönchengladbach and Werder Bremen will soon experience a European Cup evening. Regardless of all your own failures, the way back to this stage will also be more difficult for Hamburger SV or Schalke 04 – you should belong to the Bundesliga again at some point. Too bad.