Watzke added that “my impression is that some clubs which voted against see the situation differently since then.”
Holzer told Kicker magazine’s Monday edition he regretted the deal put forward in May hadn’t passed, and that he wished the league would make another effort. He indicated clubs were too cautious and didn’t consider long-term benefits. “I was told too much about risks instead of about opportunities. A typically German problem,” he said.
Fan groups were bitterly opposed to the investment deal that was defeated, with protest banners a frequent sight at Bundesliga games amid concerns the proposal would give investors sway over how competitions were run. Advocates of the deal, including some of Germany’s biggest clubs, argued the league needed a boost of extra short-term income to modernize its marketing and avoid falling behind other major European leagues, and that clubs could renovate their facilities.The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting.