(Nordphoto)
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Mr Filbry, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Hans-Joachim Watzke, the CEOs of FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, have spoken out in the past few days. One warns of the permanent aversion of the fans to further ghost games, the other complains of “populist football bashing” by politics. Will Werder go along with this?
Klaus Filbry: It’s not a nice situation, football without spectators. We and all of football live from emotions, the fans and the fan culture in the stadiums, it hurts everyone. And that certainly leads to a process of alienation. I see a danger for football there.
How do you notice this alienation?
Football is emotion, this includes full stadiums with the appropriate atmosphere. If they don’t exist, people look for something else. Football is currently no longer the most important minor matter in the world. Corona is a huge challenge for the whole of society, there is a lot that people have to deal with. We still have to look for ways to continue to be a minor matter in the future.
Rummenigge has not always criticized comprehensible measures by politicians. How do you see the decisions in Bremen?
We coordinate everything with politicians and feel well looked after by the Bremen Public Order and Health Office and the political decision-makers. So far, we have acted very responsibly here. There are regional differences and these are currently being taken into account. One can safely see whether additional criteria can be used to organize a game with spectators. Is a minimum distance of one meter sufficient? Is it only decided on the basis of the incidence figures or can there be other criteria? For example, to form clusters from certain age groups. We have to consult with politicians on how to gradually return to normal.
Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to consider whether few viewers are allowed or none at all. Watzke criticized that. Many football officials complain that politicians make their mark through football. Right?
The discussion about the restart was about testing. Karl Lauterbach made a name for himself at the expense of football and provided the public with false numbers. That was quickly straightened out. In Bremen the politicians are very much with us and support us. The opposite is more the case here, constructive solutions are sought together.
Rummenigge and Watzke spoke significantly more than other representatives of football during the corona pandemic. Are you some kind of unofficial spokesman for the 36 Bundesliga clubs?
Christian Seifert has established himself as the spokesman for football and has done an excellent job at it. Rummenigge and Watzke have given their opinion, which is perfectly fine.
Is the granting of KfW loans a political issue in the sense that no politician wants to be responsible for supporting football with loans?
We do not know that. Our request has been with KfW for a long time and has not been processed for a long time and is being carefully checked. We are in dialogue with KfW. In the event that we do not manage to find the solution, we have worked out alternatives that are almost certain to occur. In this respect, we are well financed and there is no risk of insolvency in any form.
What is the difference between a loan from KfW and one you obtained yourself from a bank?
KfW does not grant loans, it is a federal institute that provides the banks with collateral. In this case, too, the loan goes through a bank and interest is paid. With option B, if things don’t work out with KfW, we are well covered, the season is financed. However, the favorite remains the solution via KfW.
Do you have any idea why the exam is taking so long?
Football is critically questioned in the public perception. The topic of player salaries also plays a role here. This is a topic that both KfW and politicians are looking very closely at. We managed to waive salaries for the players and the coaching team twice. For some time now, the management has waived a double-digit percentage of salaries. In the administrative area – travel expenses, filling positions, investment freeze – we saved three million euros. We have done a lot in this regard and are documenting this renunciation.
Among other things, an upper limit for player salaries is under discussion. For legal reasons, is that more of a fantasy or is it actually possible?
If we manage to introduce this upper limit across Europe, the consequences of the corona pandemic can be mastered and football can recover economically. First of all, Uefa, whose president Aleksander Čeferin is very open to this issue, would have to develop a concept. This would have to be legally secured in Brussels via the EU. England, then no longer a member of the EU, would have to be brought in and joined.
Quite a few interests that have to be brought under one roof.
The biggest interest of all leagues has to be to have an exciting competition. And not the same master seven or eight times in a row. Then there are the economic consequences of the corona pandemic, which are enormous in all countries. And last but not least, you have to bring football closer to the fans again. That would be a possibility via salary caps.
Do you see others?
The distribution of television money. National and international income combined, the spread in the Bundesliga is 4: 1. So the highest earner gets four times as much money as the one who gets the least. Everyone agrees that it needs to be reduced. In addition, for Bayern there is the income from the Champions League, which means for Bayern, for example, that they get 13 to 14 times as much as the bottom of the table. And there is financial fair play.
Which many fans don’t take seriously because the big clubs are never held accountable in the end.
In the end, it’s like a tax system: you need a good financial authority that strictly implements the regulations. Violations must be followed up and sanctioned properly, there must be no loopholes. The financial fair play instrument is a good one. It just needs to be refined and then brought into focus.
Since the beginning of the Corona crisis it has been clear that many clubs are financially ailing. Is Werder one of those who are threatened with bankruptcy if there are long-term ghost games or if the season is about to be interrupted again?
Werder is not one of them. We have always dealt with the situation very transparently. We have a shortfall in income of around 30 million euros, which is a great challenge. The transfer market has not developed well. We sold Klaassen, but not Rashica, even though we had planned it. We have adjusted the management costs. It is a major economic challenge, but there is no risk of bankruptcy.
Have you calculated with viewers from January?
As far as I know, all clubs have this. It’s a dynamic situation. There were spectators against Hertha, now none are allowed. What is in January, what is in three weeks, we cannot estimate. That’s why planning is incredibly difficult.
What would more ghost games mean?
We lose between one and 1.5 million euros per game. So everyone can figure that out.
Has the DFL prepared for the season to be canceled?
To the extent that the television money is distributed differently. Usually there are four tranches. Now it is only distributed when the game has been played and the service has been provided to the TV partner.
Are you planning to sell players in January to improve your financial situation?
They always were at Werder. It is not currently planned, but it can happen.
What is the significance of the upcoming contract extensions for the sponsors EWE and Umbro?
We are currently in talks with three large companies from the top sponsorship segment, each of which is in the seven-digit range. All three have indicated that they would like to extend – in the current situation a very big vote of confidence.
Which is the third company?
We ask you to wait and see.
Seven points from the last three games, seventh place in the table. How much do you trust the team?
I’m very happy with the start. Thanks to Frank Baumann and Florian Kohfeldt, we had a very clear analysis of the past season, as a result of which we have changed a lot. The points are the first visible results. The objective – to stabilize ourselves sportily – is linked to the economic situation. We have a competitive team and we have to see that we are not drawn into the relegation battle. We have young, talented players and we want to develop them in order to have a different sporting perspective. Thanks to the good work of Frank Baumann and Florian Kohfeldt, we are on the right track.
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