Düsseldorf's Merkur Spiel-Arena embroiled in controversy.
The German gaming business Gauselmann, that has been a sponsor at Sports City Düsseldorf since July, is getting a lot of criticism due to the renaming of "Esprit Arena" (Fortuna Düsseldorf) to "Merkur Spiel-Arena." Political figures are even asking for the termination of the contracts.
Just a month after the announcement of the sponsorship deal between Merkur owner Gauselmann and the city of Düsseldorf in North Rhine-Westphalia, the consequences of the roughly 4 million euro affiliation have caused a heated uproar in the Düsseldorf city council. The debate revolves around the official renaming of the Fortuna Düsseldorf "Esprit Arena" to "Merkur Spiel-Arena" on August 3rd. Gauselmann opponents fear long-term damage to the company's image, as the biggest stadium in Germany is not just for football; it is also a cultural symbol for the Rhineland metropolis.
Apart from Bundesliga matches and other top-sport events such as athletics, boxing, or American football, various concerts, international conferences, company functions, and numerous other events take place in the 66,500-seat multi-purpose arena. The rights for this complex are worth about 3.75 million euros annually to the millionaire Espelkamp family-run business founded by Paul Gauselmann. Although there is an agreement on silence when it comes to specific contract details, there are talks of an additional 500,000 euros per year to support various Düsseldorf sports and recreational clubs.
On top of that, the publicly listed company group is now a shirt sponsor for the well-known Düsseldorf ice hockey club DEG (Düsseldorf Ice Skating Association). According to rumors, the controversial, slippery gaming CEO is planning investments of several million euros per year for this team. The same goes for the Düsseldorf Stockheim team that currently has 18 Olympic top athletes.
But although Paul Gauselmann is presenting himself as a supporter of Düsseldorf, the commitments between the company and the city are burdened with complications: According to RP Online, the contracts have a duration of ten years. The right to terminate the contract does not become active till after six years. It appears as if the city of Düsseldorf, a major city in North Rhine-Westphalia, has reduced itself to the value of a 600,000-resident Merkur test market in a matter of days and nights. The main question is, how could such a scandal-ridden mega-deal be closed without much reflection?
Since its opening in 2005, the event complex has been managed by the city-owned Düsseldorf Congress Sport & Event GmbH (DCSE). It's almost ironic that politicians from the Düsseldorf City Council sit on the board of this municipal event agency. The leadership team claims to have evaluated Gauselmann purely "economically" like any other potential sponsor - but Gauselmann's generous offer seems to have been "put to bid." The DCSE chief, as well as the city director and sports commissioner, Burkhard Hintzsche, are currently marketing Gauselmann's presence to the public as a "win-win-win situation" for sports, city, and sponsor:
"This partnership with the Gauselmann Group benefits not only the sports city of Düsseldorf and its top clubs. Athletes and sportspeople in ten different sports benefit from Gauselmann's comprehensive commitment. The engagement of private sponsors is a further development for the sports city of Düsseldorf."
However, the growing calls for player protection seem to be taken seriously by those in favor of the deal. SPD faction leader Markus Raub, for example, regards gambling advertising fueling gambling problems as "nonsense." He makes a comparison:
"Anyone who sees the King Pilsener Arena or its advertising will not become an alcoholic."
On the contrary, Green faction spokesman Norbert Czerwinski speaks of a "terribly unfortunate naming." Apart from the "good price," Düsseldorf is dressing up with the name of a "dubious partner," says Czerwinski. The Greens are therefore asking for clarification at the next main and financial committee (31.08) on the origins of the deal. They also want a dialogue on possible comparison values for such significant sponsorship.
Together with Czerwinski is FDP faction leader Manfred Neuenhaus, who points out that Düsseldorf has been in a closure process for gaming halls since April due to gambling addiction prevention. The new name of the arena is not "cheap" or "suitable as a calling card for the city," says Neuenhaus angrily. The company Gauselmann is accused by the liberal politician of wanting to "buy respectability." Finally, Neuenhaus also suggests annulling the contracts, which is attracting more and more cross-party support from the population.
It's possible that opposition to Gauselmann is growing even more - another possibility is that Duesseldorf has come to the party too late for this face-off: While the city is still figuring out the why, what, and how, the Wikipedia entry for the sports arena has already been updated. Meanwhile, Gauselmann Group CEO Paul Gauselmann declares on his website, "We're beginning work on the exterior facade."
The Gauselmann Group's sports sponsorship continues as planned, according to the 83-year-old gambling magnate of Germany, who made this clear in a recent RP piece. He summed up his stance in a straightforward manner, "What I do is legal."
On top of that, the Merkur manager has declared legal action against Green Party spokesman Norbert Czerwinski for defamation and slander. One thing is for sure: This rumored 10-year partnership between Gauselmann and D-Dorf is bound to cause more heated debates. In the meantime, we wait.
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