The 50+1 rule guards against this. The name of the rule refers to the need for members 🍎 of a club to hold 50 percent, plus one more vote, of voting rights - i.e. a majority. In short, 🍎 it means that clubs - and, by extension, the fans - have the ultimate say in how they are run, 🍎 not an outside influence or investor.

Often cited as a fourth exemption, RB Leipzig do adhere to the 50+1 rule 🍎 on paper, with 99% of the voting shares in the commercial entity which operates the club's Bundesliga side in the 🍎 hands of club members. There are, however, as of 2024, only 21 members, all of whom are linked directly or 🍎 indirectly to Red Bull.