According to Thomas Kessen, the spokesman for the fan organization “Our Curve”, the protests that have been plaguing German Football League (DFL) stadiums may not necessarily cease even if investors stop associating with the DFL. He made this statement in an interview with the German Press Agency.
He hinted that over the coming weekend, we might witness “one or two amusing posters” indicating the continuation of the protests in some form or the other.
However, Kessen does not anticipate any more deliberate disruptions, some of which have previously lasted for more than half an hour. He stated, “I would indeed be quite taken aback if such disturbances were to happen again.”
Kessen explained that the protests were very individually and locally designed, driven forward, and there was no central orchestration. The same applies to the current situation; there is no central orchestration to call off the protests.
Kessen sees the current situation as a significant victory for active football fans and club members in Germany. “Today is indeed a good day for the football fans in Germany,” he remarked.
The DFL halted negotiations on the intended billion-dollar deal on Wednesday. The executive board of the umbrella organization of the 36 professional clubs unanimously decided in Frankfurt am Main to discontinue dialogues with the financial investor CVC.
Over the last few weeks, organized fan scenes across the country had been protesting against the entry of an investor. This led to multiple games in the top national leagues being interrupted due to fans throwing tennis balls onto the field, among other things. Some games were even on the verge of cancellation.
The first and second division clubs have welcomed the decision to halt the investor negotiations
Several clubs from the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga, along with numerous fans, expressed their satisfaction with the conclusion of the DFL investor negotiations on Wednesday evening. Klaus Filbry, managing director of Werder Bremen, explained that this was the right decision given the current circumstances, as the entire system was at risk due to the game interruptions over the last few weeks.
© IMAGO/Ulrich Wagner
Michael Ströll, the managing director of Augsburg, remarked, “The decision certainly wasn’t made lightly, but considering all the circumstances, we believe it is the right and practical solution at present.”
VfB Stuttgart welcomed the “Understandable decision by the DFL executive committee that allows all of us who love football to come together again”.
Thomas Herrich, managing director of the second division club Hertha BSC, believes the decision to be right given the overall situation. He stressed on the importance of determining how the DFL and its clubs will position themselves in the future and what sustainable long-term objectives they will agree upon to strengthen the leagues.
Oke Göttlich, a member of the DFL executive committee and president of second division league leaders FC St. Pauli, urged that the skepticism of many fans about investor models should be taken seriously.
He mentioned that protests are an integral part of democratic decisions. He also commended the peaceful and creative expressions of opinion by his own fans at the Millerntor. According to him, these protests have significantly contributed to enhancing the credibility of the popular sport of football, including within the DFL.
The citizens’ movement Finanzwende, which recently launched a petition, also regarded this development as good news for all football fans. “Public pressure from civil society can also stop big money. For us, this is an occasion for joy,” stated managing director Daniel Mittler in a press release.
