Herbert Hainer questions 50+1 as he suggests rule abolishment

In an interview with the Munich-based outlet Tz, Bayern Munich’s president Herbert Hainer spoke out against the 50+1 rule. The 71-year-old goes as far as suggesting an abolishment of the rule for better competition in the Bundesliga.

"The 50+1 rule should be abolished,” said Hainer in a candid interview. “Every club should be able to decide for itself what it wants to do. You have to question whether some clubs are even adhering to this rule.”

Hainer’s statement could be directed at RB Leipzig’s systematic moves to find loopholes, while Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg are exempted from the rule because of their historical associations with Bayer AG and Volkswagen AG, respectively.

Hainer also raised the growing financial gap with the Premier League to prove his point. “The bottom team in England gets more money than the top team in our league. Our clubs need to expand their reach to America, Africa, and Asia for things to improve.”