UK Government 'To Explore' Potential German 50+1 Ownership Model After European Super League Collapse

The UK government is looking into a potential German 50+1 ownership model for clubs in England as Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledges a bigger role for fans.

The announcement of the European Super League sent shockwaves throughout the world and was widely condemned for its potential impact on the sport.

Premier League clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham had all signed up for The Super League.

But the English sides have now withdrawn their support -- they've not formally left the association -- after the intense backlash from fans, pundits, footballers, former players and organisations like FIFA and UEFA.

Now, there are calls for a bigger role for fans at English clubs after the fallout of The Super League.

According to talkSPORT, the UK could introduce a potential German 50+1 ownership model in the future.

The DFL (German FA) doesn't allow teams to compete under its rules if private investors hold more than a 49 per cent stake in a club.

The 50+1 model ensures that fans hold the majority of voting rights at their club, avoiding private investors from making big decisions on their own accord.

Both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund chose to stay out of The Super League alongside French side Paris Saint-Germain.

During Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Johnson revealed that former sports minister Tracey Crouch would carry out a "root-and-branch investigation into the governance of football and into what we can do to promote the role of fans in that governance."

Oliver Dowden, who is the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, told talkSPORT that the PM assured him that legislation could be brought in to battle the issue if it is required.

The 42-year-old Conservative Party MP explained: "Naturally, we've got to learn the lessons from the crisis in football financing during the COVID crisis.

"We need to put this on a more sustainable footing.

"For example, in the German leagues, they have a different governance structure so it's right we look at those things.

"The PM was good, I had a meeting with him and fans on Tuesday and he said we had to do whatever it took and that includes legislation and if legislation is required we'll do that.

"But the immediate legislation we were preparing to pull together was to deal with this immediate threat from this outrageous proposal."

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, on the other hand, has insisted that the European Super League is on "stand-by" and all 12 clubs "signed a binding contract."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: European Super League, Football, Premier League, England, ESL

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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