In a widely expected move the DFL, which runs the top two divisions of German football, has granted licenses for the 36 clubs who will be competing in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 next season. This is an annual event, which doesn’t happen in the Premier League or EFL, where clubs are in effect inspected to ensure they are capable of completing the fixtures for the following season.
However this year the process is somewhat different as the DFL agreed in March not to inspect the respective finances of clubs, something which is often the most crucial and scrutinised aspect of the whole process. Given the ongoing effects of Coronavirus, it was decided that the clubs may need additional time to get their financial affairs in order, so an inspection at this point would serve little purpose.
So what can often be a nerve wracking process for clubs whose finances are shaky (which is more German clubs that you would imagine) was this year a walk in the park. Then playing in Bundesliga 2, TSV Munich1860 failed to obtain a license for the following season and were also refused a place in the division below so had to play in the Regionalliga. Last summer 1. FC Kaiserslautern only just survived the process by the injection of fresh funds from investors.
The other areas examined are the clubs’ sporting, legal, administrative, media capabilities and their infrastructure.