The German DFL professional soccer league has defended the ownership restrictions it imposed against a preliminary evaluation by the country's competition authority, which suggested that they might be in violation of antitrust rules. Public broadcaster ARD reported.
In 1999, the DFL established the "50+1" rule. This means that a parent club cannot own more than half of a team's voting power. This rule is intended to limit outside investors' influence and preserve the sport's club character. However, there are exceptions for three clubs where the investor has been involved more than 20 years.
