FC Luzern is doing well in sporting terms, but the shareholder dispute between the club and Bernhard Alpstaeg continues. Alpstaeg has now spoken out for the first time about withdrawing, but insists on one point: the shares.
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- Bernhard Alpstaeg has spoken to the "Luzerner Zeitung" about a possible retirement from FC Luzern. However, he insists on one point: he wants the 52% of the shares "to which he is entitled".
- In December, the Board of Directors of FCL Holding AG canceled 25 percent of Alpstaeg's shares. Legitimate or not, that is the question.
- With the "Vision 2030", consisting of six points, Alpstaeg took a step towards the other shareholders.
FC Luzern has made a strong start to the new season. Eleven points after six games, third place in the Super League: for once, the Central Swiss club is in the headlines for its sporting performance. This is not always the case due to the shareholder dispute between the club and Bernhard Alpstaeg.
"Head of Sport Remo Meyer seems to have done a good job," says Alpstaeg in the "Luzerner Zeitung". However, the 79-year-old is clearly not jumping for joy. His joy remains clouded: "I don't enjoy watching FCL on TV as much because of the dispute."
In December 2022, the Board of Directors of FCL Holding AG removed 25% of Alpstaeg's shares from the share register. The key question remains whether this was done legally or not. Without the hotly debated 25%, Alpstaeg still owns 27% of the holding shares.
Alpstaeg takes a step towards other shareholders
With its "Vision 2030" (see box), Alpstaeg took a step towards FC Luzern. The six points are "proposed solutions". However, Alpstaeg is clear: "I still want the 52% of the shares to which I am entitled."
Alpstaeg's six-point plan for FC Lucerne
- 1. the FCL is financially reorganized and has a sustainably healthy economic basis
- 2. the FCL is managed professionally and competently
- 3. the FCL is successful in sport and has a good youth system.
- 4. the FCL has an optimized structure, organization and strategy.
- 5. the FCL has a stable, long-term shareholder base in Central Switzerland.
- 6. the Swissporarena is an energy-optimized "green stadium".
Stefan Wolf steps down as FCL CEO at the end of the year. The air was particularly thick between Wolf and Alpstaeg. The vision had already been developed before Wolf announced his resignation, "but there were and still are a lot of emotions at play between Wolf and me. Without these emotions, it is probably easier to find a basis," says Alpstaeg.
Withdrawal with a "condition that cannot be discussed"
Alpstaeg does not want to talk about his "Vision 2030" as a change of heart or an attempt at rapprochement. For him, the fact that he wants his "52% of the shares to which he is entitled" is a condition that cannot be discussed. "In the medium term, however, I want to withdraw from the FCL and find a good solution in which I can place my shares in a sensible way."
The shareholder dispute between Alpstaeg and the FCL is therefore not yet over, but a first step has apparently been taken on Alpstaeg's part. While things continue to rumble in the background, FCL will face Aarau in the Cup after the national team break on the football pitch, before the Central Swiss side host St.Gallen the following weekend.
