Martin Kind had applied to make Hannover 96 exempt from the DFL's 50+1 rule.GETTY IMAGES
The German Football League (DFL) announced its exec committee "voted unanimously to reject" Bundesliga side Hannover 96 President Martin Kind's "application for an exemption from the 50+1 rule," according to Chuck Penfold of DEUTSCHE WELLE. In a statement, the DFL said that the committee found that Kind had "not met the requirement for being granted a rare exemption form the rule," which requires the controlling stake of a Bundesliga club to be held by its membership. The DFL added that the exec committee "examined the case carefully over the past few months," with Kind having been given an opportunity to "present his case personally on more than one occasion." It found that Kind had not met the key requirement of "considerable investment" in the club over an uninterrupted period of 20 years or more. The DFL defines "considerable investment" as being an annual sum equal or above that paid to a club by its main sponsor -- averaged over two decades. A few hours after the DFL's announcement, Kind "derided the decision," saying that it amounted to a "confession of failure." He also stated his intention to take the DFL to court over the issue, announcing that he would soon instruct his people to "initate the necessary and legal steps." To date, three clubs have been granted exemptions from the rule: Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim (DW, 7/18).
