Bundesliga clubs Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, and Wolfsburg are facing ownership overhauls after Germany’s competition watchdog determined they are not compliant with the country’s 50+1 rule. The rule requires all football clubs to be majority controlled by their members.
The German Federal Cartel Office, in its final decision on a long-running challenge, endorsed the 50+1 structure. However, it insisted that all clubs must be treated equally, stating that the rule must be “applied consistently and without distinctions – unless there is an objective justification for such distinctions.”
Leverkusen and Wolfsburg have historically benefited from relief from the 50+1 rule since its 1998 introduction due to their origins as works teams funded by Bayer and Volkswagen, respectively. RB Leipzig, owned by Red Bull, has reportedly circumvented the rule by limiting its membership to a small group, mostly associated with the energy drinks company.
The watchdog concluded that it has no fundamental objections to the 50+1 rule, despite it restricting economic competition for investment. It stated that the objective of club identity and member participation justifies an exception to antitrust prohibitions.