The coronavirus is shaking the ciminetos of the soccer world. The temporary suspension of matches causes a lack of income for football clubs and many already fear the worst. If the break in the leagues lengthens more than expected, there will be few teams that seriously endanger their existence. They and numerous employees, who, from one day to the next, would be left without a job. A series of footballers have already taken the first step and decided to donate part of their income to aid those most in need at the moment. But that will not suffice. More drastic measures will be needed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. One of them is proposed by Martin Kind, CEO of Hannover 96; his idea is to impose a salary limit on players in the Bundesliga and create a solidarity fund.
“I am in favor,” he said this Sunday during the Doppelpass sports gathering on the German chain Sport1. Kind meditates installing a fund between all the clubs to prevent situations like the one that is hitting football right now. “You could accumulate enough capital over the years if we entered a sum x from television revenue. It would be carried out proportionally for each club, thus reducing the benefits of each one so that part of that money is wisely invested, “he explained. Of course, the priority is to finish the season as necessary to guarantee the remaining television income, crucial for the survival of most clubs. “Possible insolvencies would be horrifying”he stressed.
The salary limit is not the only proposal of the boss of Hannover in this regard. He has been fighting the 50 + 1 law for some time, which regulates the power of investors in the Bundesliga. Given the circumstances, the regulations seem more debatable than ever. “I choose to have it collapsed. Clubs are companies. Things are clear”, nuanced. As for Hannover, Kind was also emphatic: “It is a question of the economy in general. How can we guarantee liquidity in the coming months? At the moment, it only gives us to be able to finish the season. Should it not be played later, we would have to subject our budgets to major changes. No club will be able to rescue its financial system, “he concluded.