Abstract
In Germany as in many other European countries, fans demand a greater say in their clubs. Following the question how fans are currently involved and represented within the decision-making processes at club level, Ziesche offers an insight into the alignment of fan-related structures in and around German professional football clubs. After starting his chapter by introducing recent developments with regard to fan politics in Germany, he moves to the results of his empirical study. By employing a two-step analysis, Ziesche first presents a categorisation of three different models existent in Germany and then presents findings from selected cases from the first and second Bundesliga. The chapter concludes by controversially discussing whether the German case can serve as an example of Good Governance with regard to fan representation and involvement.
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Notes
- 1.
Note that whereas this chapter will use the term ultra to refer to these very active fan groups in German football (since this is the denomination they have adopted for themselves), it has different connotations from Italy. German fan groups indeed imported the term ultra from Italy, and they used the Italian example in their colourful displays of support in the stands. However, the negative connotations associated to ultra groups in Italy (see Doidge contribution to this volume) are not so evident in Germany, even when this chapter explains further ahead that the German authorities felt a need to control supporters and safety inside the grounds.
- 2.
Transl. Safe stadium experience.
- 3.
Among others, the most critically received demands by the DFL in the initial version of the concept where the introduction of full body controls in containers, the reduction or refusal of away tickets, and personalised tickets for high risk matches (cf. DFL 2012).
- 4.
The numbers ‘12:12’ refer both to the date on which the clubs were supposed to sign the paper, 12th of December 2012, and, in a wider sense, also to the fans themselves as the ‘12th man’ of the team.
- 5.
As the name indicates, the alliance was concerned with kick-off times and days mostly.
- 6.
Deutscher Fußballbund, is the German Football Association. While the DFB is the main football authority in Germany, the DFL is responsible for licencing and marketing, in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga, and it is a direct subsidiary to Die Liga Fußballverband which is the association of all professional football clubs. The relationship between the DFB and Die Liga is based on a basic treaty between both associations. All leagues below are supervised by the DFB and its regional associations. Also, the DFB punishes clubs for misbehaviour of fans, regardless of league affiliation.
- 7.
‘Separation’ is used throughout the chapter to describe the process of outsourcing professional elements of the club into capital companies in order to generate more revenues. These entities, however, remain attached to the club. The German term is Ausgliederung (lit. transl. to disembodiment or disincorporation).
- 8.
Without going into further specifics of each specific form, all those allow for the trading of shares and can be seen more or less equivalent to the English PLCs or other forms of joint stock companies.
- 9.
The German Verein (= association) is characterised by its non-profit/common public interest status and owned by its members.
- 10.
This in turn compelled the dominating Ultra groupChosen Few’ to leave the club.
- 11.
With the relegation of DSC Arminia Bielefeld and the promotion of RB Leipzig this number remained the same as RB Leipzig separated its professional branches on December 2nd 2014.
- 12.
In the case of Bayern München the club holds 75 per cent of the shares and votes, the remainder is split equally among the longstanding partners Adidas AG, Audi AG, and Allianz SE each holding 8.33 per cent (see FC Bayern München 2014). At Borussia Dortmund, the club owns 100 per cent of the votes but merely 5.53 per cent of the shares.
- 13.
At Schalke, talks about a possible future separation have been made public in October 2014, but have not been taken further so far, while in Stuttgart, the project of separation, announced for 2015 has been delayed several times, mainly due to the scepticism of club members and the club’s relegation to 2nd Bundesliga in 2016.
- 14.
- 15.
- 16.
Fans of Dynamo Dresden bear the (mass media) stigma of being notorious for their violent and rule-breaking appearances, particuarly during away games. This culminated in the exclusion from the German Cup for the 2013–2014 season. As a matter of fact, the club is constantly financially prosecuted by the DFB for transgressions of its fans.
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Ziesche, D. (2017). Well Governed? Fan Representation in German Professional Football Clubs. In: García, B., Zheng, J. (eds) Football and Supporter Activism in Europe. Football Research in an Enlarged Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48734-2_6
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