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DFL board member Axel Hellmann

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Brain shell / osnapix / IMAGO

Eintracht Frankfurt's board spokesman Axel Hellmann has identified the failed communication of many club managers as the main reason for the failed investor process in the German Football League.

He believes that the flow of information from supporters among the 36 professional clubs to the control committees, general meetings or fan scenes "was not such that the promise they gave beforehand that they wanted and supported the deal could be maintained in the end," said Das DFL executive committee member in the ZDF sports studio on Saturday evening: "This perseverance didn't work." The biggest learning effect from this is "that we have to approach communication differently at club level," demanded Hellmann.

After weeks of fan protests and increasing demands from club officials for a new vote, the DFL stopped the investor process, which was approved by a narrow two-thirds majority at the general meeting in December, during the week.

Due to the controversial role of Hanover managing director Martin Kind, there is suspicion that the vote could have violated the 50+1 rule.

The rule limits the influence of external donors on the clubs in the 1st and 2nd leagues.

Kind has not commented on his vote.

The DFL wanted a billion euros from a financial investor for a percentage share of the TV revenue.

Hellmann explained that it's not so easy for the clubs to take out loans for this purpose: "We can't simply take out outside capital under the conditions that some people may be familiar with when building houses.

Unfortunately, the world is different for us because the way we use it is high-risk capital.

The option of distributing less TV money and instead investing it in the future is also risky.

It would affect clubs with relatively low equity capital and lead to an even greater gap, "which we want to avoid," said the former interim managing director of the DFL.

However, Hellmann currently does not see any danger of a split between the 1st and 2nd leagues or of going it alone in marketing.

“I believe that central marketing is a crucial asset that sets us apart in the Bundesliga,” he said: “The ultimate goal for us must be to maintain the unity of the 36 clubs in terms of value creation in the Bundesliga.

This allows us to achieve the best results in the media tender and we also maintain the focus on essential values.«

ara/dpa