Uli Hoeness questions 50+1 as Bayern begin to lag behind in Europe

By Andrew Thompson


Published: June 29, 2022 8:52 pm

Last Updated: June 29, 2022 11:03 pm

Former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeneß has spoken out against the 50+1 rule as the German giants have begun to lag behind some of the biggest clubs in Europe over the last few seasons.

Hoeneß, who made 239-appearances for the Bavarian-based club over nine years, has reversed his long-standing support for the Deutsche Fußball-Liga rule that states a club must control the majority of its voting rights which ensures that members retain decision power while also shielding from the influence of outside investors.

The World Cup-winning midfielder was quoted in stating that if Bayern is to be the king of Europe, they need to revisit their resistance to investors if they are to compete with the top clubs in England and Italy that have welcomed foreign influence with open arms.

VILLARREAL, SPAIN – APRIL 06: Jamal Musiala of FC Bayern Muenchen is challenged by Étienne Capoue of Villarreal CF during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Villarreal CF and Bayern München at Estadio de la Ceramica on April 06, 2022 in Villarreal, Spain. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

“I used to be against breaking the 50+1 rule. But now the Italians and the English are pulling away from us. If we want to be at the top of Europe, we have to change 50+1. The rule can be abolished.”

“On the one hand we want to win the Champions League, on the other hand, we want to stick to 50+1. You can’t have it both ways.”

“Investors and sustainability don’t exclude each other. Let’s take a look at Liverpool: The club is owned by an American, but you still get goosebumps every time they sing ‘You’ll never walk alone’. That doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive.”

Bayern is the undisputed kings of Germany after the club has lifted the Bundesliga trophy for ten consecutive seasons taking them to 31-league wins across the history of the league, with their closest competitor for league honors coming by way of rivals Borussia Dortmund, and Borussia Mönchengladbach, both of whom have five league titles to their name.

But despite their domestic dominance, Bayern has struggled in recent seasons after lifting the Champions League trophy in 2020, failing to make it past the quarter-final stage in the last two seasons which included a recent humiliating elimination at the hands of La Liga outfit Villarreal.

While it is likely that the vast majority of clubs in the German football ladder will be wholeheartedly against the abolishing of 50+1, Hoeneß does levy a fair argument regarding a club’s ability to continue to run in a sustainable fashion despite outside capital being pumped into the bloodstream.

Still, such a monumental shift in the landscape of German football is sure to be avoided, and even if it was not, it would likely take years for the right changes to be enacted and implemented.

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This article was edited by
Ben Browning.