The Black Yellows’ general manager
insisted that football is much more than just business, as he took a jab at foreign-owned English Premier League sides
Borussia Dortmund director Hans-Joachim Watzke blasted the overseas owners of Premier League teams for overlooking footballing aspects in favour of business needs. The Bundesliga club is set to play English champions’ Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League
on Tuesday.
He stressed that Premier League is losing its standard due to the oligarch-owned club culture in recent years, and he commended the German League’s reliance on affordable match tickets and standing areas for the fans. He said this
is a major difference between the two leagues.
German Football Association rules suggest that at least 50 per cent of a domestic team must be owned by its members, and also a vote from a holding company. Therefore, the chance of a foreign ownership of a Bundesliga club is not
possible under these rules.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Hannover-96-c39492 president Martin Kind. Watzke stated
that he was strongly against changing the ruling.
"I was the biggest opponent of changing the rule," he was quoted as saying in an interview.
The club official suggested that it is necessary to continue with the model as it will facilitate Germans need of a sense of belonging. He further added if you treat the fans as clients, then the passion for football is damaged
and you suffer as a consequence.
"Germans want to have that sense of belonging. When you give [the supporters] the feeling that they are your customers, you have lost,” the chief executive officer mused.
"In http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Germany-c2904, we want everybody to feel it is their club, and that is really important," he finally concluded.
Watzke conceded that in the Bundesliga, the clubs always want supporters to recognise that they are a part of the organisation. He said that they work tirelessly to make that happen, and that has benefited the German sides the
most in a time of financial constraints.
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