Social Football Summit 2025: "Translating the values of the 50+1 rule into marketing" (A. Mühl, BVB)

"It's up to us, the clubs and the league, to see how we can bring in new investment while retaining our model that makes us unique" (A. Mühl, Borussia Dortmund)

• "The football ecosystem tends towards two poles: an entertainment offer but also an offer of local, regional and national identity.

• At BVB and in the Bundesliga, we have grown by focusing on the second option. We want to remain a source of identity while also providing entertainment. Every stadium offers a unique, unforgettable experience, which makes it a major asset for the league.

• The quality of the infrastructure is a necessary foundation, and we regularly maintain the Signal Iduna Park. Changing the stadium is not an option, given its importance.

• Dialogue and communication with the fans are also essential, not least to preserve the atmosphere of the Yellow Wall and its 25,000 standing fans. We offer a very affordable season ticket at €250, which includes public transport. We don't want gentrification in this stand.

The aim is to have a win-win relationship with fans

• We have a number of bodies that lead discussions between the club and its supporters' associations. The discussions are not always pleasant, but the aim is to have a win-win relationship. We listen to them, we don't always follow them, but there is respect.

• At Dortmund, we don't want to push things too far, as is the case with some clubs that host NFL National Football League, the professional league of American football in the USA. games.

• While the BVB experience is best enjoyed when you're in the stadium, we have millions of fans around the world that we need to involve through loyalty programmes. In the United States, we wanted to reach a new audience, one that was not part of the German football culture. While BVB wants to be competitive in terms of image, we can't compete with Barcelona or Real Madrid (LALIGA EA Sports Spanish 1^st Division (20 clubs); EA Sports (video game publisher) title sponsor for the 2023-2028 cycle ) on the sporting aspect. But we have the drama, the emotion, the joy. That's our positioning and that's what we emphasise.

• The involvement of the fans, their importance, the spirit of attachment represented by the 50+1 rule, are all values that can be translated into marketing and can arouse curiosity, particularly in America. This rule forces us to be smarter. We're looking at how we can diversify our revenues, whether through sport and health, international markets, and so on.

• The 50+1 rule offers sustainability and stability. It's up to us, the clubs and the league, to see how we can bring in new investment while retaining our model that makes us unique."

Alexander Mühl Marketing & Digitalisation Director @ Borussia Dortmund (BVB)
, director of marketing & digitalisation at Borussia Dortmund Activity: German professional football club Main partners:• Vodafone (telecommunications): main shirt sponsor for 2025-2030 • Puma (equipment supplier): 2012-2034, €8m/season for 2012-2020, then…

"The DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, German professional football league. 's abandonment of the strategic partnership project with CVC is the result of poor communication & dialogue with stakeholders, particularly fans" (P. Reschke, Eintracht Frankfurt)

• "The primary value of German football lies in its atmosphere and its community. The strategy for consolidating this base involves affordable ticket prices.

• Thirty years ago, at the end of the season, when Eintracht Frankfurt were one match away from the title, the stadium was half full. At that time, football no longer had the same status in Germany. There was a huge change in the early 2000s, driven in particular by the construction of new stadiums for the 2006 World Cup.

• The club put in place a brand strategy linked to a sort of renaissance, linked to the glory years of the 1970s and 1980s. This has culminated in victory in the German Cup in 2018, a return to the European Cup in 2019 and victory in the Europa League in 2022, which has profoundly refreshed the club's DNA.

One of our challenges is to develop innovations without upsetting the fans

• One of our challenges is to develop innovations without upsetting the fans. Any change or development must be discussed and explained, so that there is no misunderstanding or unjustified fear. For example, we have developed a 100% digital ticketing system, which could have worried some fans because of the data involved. Fortunately, we were able to highlight the benefits and reassure people, as all they have to do to access the service is enter their first name and surname.

• The 50+1 rule protects against acquisition by third parties who may be opaque or whose intentions are unclear. Does this limit business? In Frankfurt, the shareholders themselves adopt a 'fan' stance and invest in the club with this vision in mind. If the shareholders come from the same environment, as is the case with many German companies, they do not jeopardise the club's culture. In a way, this can be limiting, but we need to create alternatives and keep in mind that one day, it may be an asset that others will not have.

• The DFL's abandonment of the strategic partnership project with CVC Published on 21/02/24 at 18:36
"At its extraordinary meeting in Frankfurt (GER) today, the executive committee of the DFL unanimously resolved not to continue the process of entering into a strategic marketing partnership,… is the result of poor communication and dialogue with stakeholders, particularly fans. The agreement could perhaps have gone through if we had acted differently. It's up to us to show and communicate the difference between an investor and an agency. The word 'investment' has distorted the debate."

Philipp Reschke, member of the board at Eintracht Frankfurt