Joint statement by DFL and DFB on the situation in European football
On Sunday evening, 12 top clubs in Europe announced the establishment of a European Super League and laid out detailed plans to this end. The DFL (German Football League), DFB (German Football Association) and TSG Hoffenheim have all spoken out against the establishment of the new competition. The joint statement of the DFB and DFL, published on Monday, can be read in its entirety here.
German football – the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and the German Football Association (DFB) – is appalled by the foundation of a Super League. We stand in solidarity with UEFA and its President Aleksander Ceferin. At the same time, we support all signalled countermeasures by FIFA, UEFA and the affected national leagues and associations. We are aware that this may also affect the selection of German national team players that are contracted at such Super League clubs.
The future of football is at stake. This change is unlike any we have seen before. We must not allow the financial interests of a few top clubs from England, Italy and Spain to destroy well-established structures. Football in Europe thrives off the fact that it is theoretically possible for every club to vie with the best on the continent in one competition. This dream must not be supplanted by a largely closed shop. National leagues are the foundation of professional football, its popularity, and its appeal throughout society. It is irresponsible and unacceptable to jeopardise the collaboration that has emerged over the years. This collaboration is what has also allowed the top clubs to grow in recent decades. The vast majority of European clubs, leagues and associations agree with us. Fans all over Europe are also speaking out.
Against this backdrop, the UEFA Executive Committee’s unanimous approval of the planned reform of the European club competitions was the right thing to do today. This reform was an offer to the top clubs to come together under the shared UEFA umbrella after all – and a painful compromise in some areas. However, this offer was rejected, and the motivation is obvious. Football – at any level – has always been strong when it has found solutions together. More than ever, the DFL and the DFB will campaign for this with all means at their disposal. Especially in light of the global coronavirus crisis, it is clear what football should stand for: solidarity, not selfishness.
The board of management at TSG Hoffenheim welcome and support this clear stance. TSG managing director Dr. Peter Görlich, a member of the Professional Football Task Force, also highlighted that: "We will be judged according to what has already been decided in the DFL committee."