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Imagine children in a playground. Suddenly two people start arguing. When their respective parents arrive, the two children run up to them in complete outrage and describe their position. Both statements sound completely plausible. For the sake of peace, the parents finally ask their children to shake hands.
That could also be the case at FC Luzern. But it isn’t. In Central Switzerland, one lawsuit follows another. The situation has long since become opaque to all involved and all outsiders. But one thing is becoming increasingly clear: Bernhard Alpstaeg (78) is becoming increasingly isolated. In addition to the club’s board of directors and the city of Lucerne, the shareholders are now publicly opposing him.
New shareholders oppose Alpstaeg
Until May this year, apart from Alpstaeg, only the vice-president of the board of directors, Josef Bieri, owned shares in FC Luzern. Then nine more shareholders joined – two well-known people, Samih Sawiris and Hans Schmid. So far they have held back. But now they’re striking. “We have been cheated on several times. Now we need a step to break the impasse,” shareholder Michael Wehrle said on Tuesday.
This step is difficult. In concrete terms, an attempt is being made to exclude Alpstaeg from the shareholders’ agreement (ABV) due to “repeated serious breaches of duty”. The other shareholders explain that the exclusion creates a right to purchase the shares. All this is recorded in the ABV, which was also signed by Alpstaeg.
Confusion about the ABV
Suddenly the ABV should be up to date again. Actually, it was no longer in effect, as Bieri personally dissolved it in 2021 through a termination agreement. “Then everything was peace, joy, pancakes,” Bieri remembers. It was decided more than a year ago that the ABV should now come into force again.
On October 2, 2022, Alpstaeg gave an interview in SonntagsBlick. In doing so, he brought the dispute to the attention of the public. Due to Alpstaeg’s comments, Bieri contested the ABV’s termination agreement exactly one month later. That was the ‘precautionary measure’ with which he prevented the planned extraordinary general meeting at the last minute, at which Alpstaeg wanted to vote out the entire board of directors for the first time.
The challenge was not enough for the step taken today. For this, Bieri needed the support of ex-shareholders such as Schmid and Sawiris. The two reversed their share sale to Bieri because the key condition of their sale had been violated. “Alpstaeg informed us in writing that he will withdraw completely until mid-2024 and will no longer do anything publicly,” Schmid said today. Blick described the return of Schmid and Sawiris in May as a legal step. That’s exactly what she has proven.
Another lawsuit is inevitable
Alpstaeg frowns that the ABV should actually be active again. Alpstaeg’s spokesperson, Sacha Widdorovits, speaks of a “completely absurd argument that is legally unfounded.” It is clear to him: if the new shareholders actually want the shares, they will have to go to court. Just as Alpstaeg has been doing for a long time to get 25 percent of its shares back. Wigdorovits wishes the shareholders good luck, adds the Alpstaeg spokesperson in an ironic tone.
If Alpstaeg does not change its position, as is likely, the shareholders will have to file a lawsuit for enforcement. Then the next legal act would begin. And the parties would be further than ever from a handshake – for the sake of peace and the FCL.
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team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 FC Zurich
|
10
|
13
|
22
|
|
|
2
|
 BSC Young Boys
|
9
|
11
|
20
|
|
|
3
|
 FC St. Gallen
|
10
|
6
|
18
|
|
|
4
|
 FC Lugano
|
9
|
3
|
15
|
|
|
5
|
 FC Lucerne
|
10
|
-1
|
15
|
|
|
6
|
 Yverdon Sports FC
|
10
|
-4
|
15
|
|
|
7
|
 Napkin FC
|
10
|
-2
|
13
|
|
|
8th
|
 FC Winterthur
|
10
|
-2
|
12
|
|
|
9
|
 Grasshopper Club Zurich
|
10
|
-3
|
8th
|
|
|
10
|
 FC Lausanne Sport
|
10
|
-5
|
8th
|
|
|
11
|
 FC Stade Lausanne Ouchy
|
9
|
-8th
|
8th
|
|
|
12
|
 FC Basel
|
9
|
-8th
|
5
|
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
