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Volkswagen Set To Examine All Investments Including Football Sponsorships

Volkswagen CEO Matthias Müller "has called for radical cost saving measures following the emissions test scandal," according to Frieder Schilling of SPONSORs. All of the company's investments "will be examined, including football sponsorships." Asked about the company's investment in Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, Müller said, "We will leave no stone unturned and we will also look at that." The carmaker "could be fined billions of dollars" for cheating on U.S. emissions tests. Müller: "Therefore we are now putting all planned investments under high scrutiny. What is not absolutely necessary will be canceled or postponed." Under the leadership of former CEO Martin Winterkorn, VfL Wolfsburg "became a 100% subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group." The company "is reportedly investing a high eight-figure amount annually in the team." In addition, through its subsidiaries Volkswagen "holds stakes in Bayern Munich and Bundesliga side FC Ingolstadt." The carmaker "is also one of six official parters of the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) competition." The sponsorship has a reported value of €3M-€3.5M ($3.4M-$3.9M) annually (SPONSORs, 10/7).

CHANGES EXPECTED: ESPN's Mark Rodden reported VfL Wolfsburg Sporting Dir Klaus Allofs said last month that "he did not expect their finances to be hit by the fallout over falsified United States vehicle emission tests." The "revelations about the rigged tests on diesel cars saw Volkswagen's share price plummet" and led to the resignation of Winterkorn. On the pitch, Wolfsburg is "experiencing a tricky spell after winning the DFB Pokal for the first time and finishing second to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last campaign" (ESPN, 10/7). Christoph Breuer, a professor of sports economics and sports management at the German Sport University in Cologne, recently told SBD Global that he believes Allofs' view is short-sighted. He said that many people at the club and at Volkswagen’s marketing department are underestimating the situation at the moment. “The financial performance of the company will be affected more seriously and as such shareholders’ calls for efficiency programs will get louder,” he said. “And efficiency programs will definitely lead to some changes” (HJ Mai, SBD Global).

Volkwagen Group's German Football Sponsorships
 Team League     
Brand       
 VfL Wolfsburg
Bundesliga
VW
 Bayern Munich
Bundesliga Audi
 FC Ingolstadt
Bundesliga Audi
 Hertha Berlin
Bundesliga Audi
 Werder Bremen Bundesliga VW
 Hamburg SV
Bundesliga
MAN
 Hannover 96 Bundesliga VW Commercial Vehicles
 TSG Hoffenheim
Bundesliga Audi
 Borussia Mönchengladbach 
Bundesliga 
Audi
 Schalke
Bundesliga VW
 Eintracht Braunschweig
2nd Bundesliga 
Seat
 Greuther Fürth
2nd Bundesliga
VW
 FC Kaiserslautern
2nd Bundesliga   
MAN
 RB Leipzig
2nd Bundesliga VW and Porsche
 1860 Munich
2nd Bundesliga
VW
 FC Nuremberg
2nd Bundesliga
Audi
Source: SPONSORs

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