DFL vs. Land Bremen: The most important answers to the dispute over police costs in football

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In Leipzig will be negotiated on Tuesday from 9 clock, whether the German Football League (DFL) in the future may be involved in the costs of police operations in high-risk games in football. The Federal Administrative Court decides in the last instance, after the DFL before the Bremen Administrative Court and later the State of Bremen before the Bremen Higher Administrative Court was given in each case right. The most important questions and answers at a glance:

What is the case in this case?

The trigger was the "Nordderby" between Werder Bremen and Hamburger SV in April 2015. As part of the game, there had been a mass brawl between the warring fan bearings. According to the police 969 officials were used instead of the usual at a Bundesliga match 200 to 250th For the additional costs, the state of Bremen issued an invoice in the amount of 425,718 euros to the DFL.

The DFL refused the payment and moved to the administrative court. There she got right first. The state of Bremen was under revision and got right in February 2018 before the Higher Administrative Court. The court justified its decision with the fact that the economic success of football matches is also conditional by the security payments of the police. Because security is the core task of the state, cost sharing should not be ruled out for that reason alone.

How does the state of Bremen argue?

The state of Bremen tries by his demands to be involved in the high profits of the DFL and the Bundesliga clubs at least in the approach. Bremen Senator for the Interior, Ulrich Mäurer, together with Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of the Interior Roger Lewentz (both SPD) proposed a fund for risk games in which the DFL should pay a double-digit million sum a year. "There is huge revenue from the sale of players and advertising revenues in the football business," said Lewentz in the past year. "Then we can also expect that, especially in view of increased violence excesses the increasing costs of increased police use not alone open to taxpayers."

How does the DFL argue?

DFL President Reinhard Rauball said in an interview with the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" that he considers the Bremen law to be unconstitutional and any fee notices unlawful. For the DFL and the clubs must apply the same as for other economically successful private organizations and companies, which nevertheless are within the legal order. It claims that their interests are protected by the state, Rauball said. "Especially since the 36 clubs of the Bundesliga and Second League last paid about 1.3 billion euros in taxes and duties a year."

What consequences can be expected?

Conceivable are two scenarios: If the state of Bremen wins the lawsuit, other states could follow this example. In this case, according to Rauball tens of millions of dollars would come to the clubs. In the end, they are supposed to bear the costs because they are the organizers against which Bremen's law is directed, Rauball said. The cost of the Nordderby four years ago would therefore have to pay Werder Bremen.

If, on the other hand, the DFL wins the legal dispute, the federal states will have to pay for additional costs for police operations in Bundesliga matches in the future. For the 2016/2017 season alone, the personnel costs for use in the first three leagues, according to Bremen Interior Senator Mäurer amounted to well over 112 million euros.

When is a verdict to be expected?

The decision will not be announced on Tuesday. One of the reasons for this is that for the first time there will be a live broadcast of the verdict at the Federal Administrative Court. According to the current status, the decision should be announced on Friday. The then last possible instance would be the Federal Administrative Court in Karlsruhe.