No quick resolution expected in Türkgücü München-FC Schweinfurt 05 DFB-Pokal dispute
Oral arguments in the case of Türkgücü München vs. the Bavarian Amateur Football Association are scheduled for September 28th. Association President Rainer Koch still hods little hope that the issue of the disputed Pokal match will be solved soon.
FC Schalke's opponent in opening round of Germany's domestic cup remains uncertain. Legal arguments will be tenuous. The spring 2020 compromise award Türkgücü München promotion and declare FC Schweinfurt 05 unofficial Bavarian amateur champions was evidently based on a "handshake" agreement.
BFV President Rainer Koch, speaking on the sports podcast of the Paussauer Neue Presse, said he expects an immediate appeal on Türkgücü part even if his side wins judgement. An appeal to a higher Bavarian regional court could stretch the matter out far longer. He hinted that he would try to settle the matter out of court.
Koch acknowledged that he made the compromise with Türkgücü President Hasan Kivran knowing that the relegation/DFB Pokal decision was not legally binding. Kivran no longer felt by agreement when Schweinfurt lodged a complaint against Tükgücü's third-division licensing.
According to Kivran, Schweinfurt actively wished to take action against his club's rise. After he perceived the spirit of the compromise had been broken, "We no longer felt the need to stick to outdated agreements," Kivran told die Welt am Sonntag last week.
Schweinfurt Managing Director Markus Wolf vehemently denies that his club attempted to thwart Türkgücü's promotion. While Schweinfurt did question the approval process and asked the DFB to look into whether Türkgücü should be potentially allowed to play its third-division home matches in Würzberg, Wolf emphasized, "We never filed a lawsuit and have no plans to so."
Wolf essentially claims that the he raised the issue as a matter of procedural duty. Kivran sees ulterior motives and a personal affront. Koch laments his association's involvement in the inter-club dispute, repeatedly saying "This is a quarrel between FC Schweinfurt and Türkgücü München being fought on the BFV".
A DFB Pokal match against a first-tier Bundesliga side will certainly be a lucrative opportunity for both clubs, now that fans all over Germany have been federally cleared to return to stadiums. In the case of Türkgücü, Kivran wishes to take advantage of Munich's Olympiastadion. The city has given him permission to use the venue on six occasions this calendar year. Twenty percent capacity at the arena would translate to 15,000 tickets.
Much remains at stake. Tükgücü's ethnic origins render the issue even more of what, to use English parlance, would be considered a "political football". Any decision will likely be viewed through that lens in the Bundesrepublik.