DFL Licensing System

The DFL’s licensing process is an important part of the success story of German professional football. The internationally renowned procedure serves to secure match operations and guarantee stability and the integrity of the competition. It has helped to ensure that no club in Bundesliga history has ever gone into administration during the season. All of this is beneficial to the clubs, which designed the licensing system and its criteria themselves.

The basics of the licensing process were introduced when the Bundesliga was founded in 1963. The first economic criteria were soon added. Permanent optimisation has given rise to a complex process that is set out in the 422 pages of the DFL Licensing Regulations. The process is now conducted between the DFL and the clubs using a web-based user platform.