A former Bundesliga player has seen his legal battle come to an unsuccessful end, to the relief of German clubs. Heinz Müller’s case threatened to change the way contracts worked in German football.German football clubs have breathed a collective sigh of relief following a court ruling which means that temporary contracts will remain legal in the sport. Former Mainz goalkeeper Heinz Müller lost his legal battle with his former employer in Germany’s Federal Labor Court on Tuesday.
In 2012, Müller signed a new two-year contract with Mainz until June 2014, with a one year extension until June 2015 included should Müller make 23 Bundesliga appearances. But Müller never did and half a year before the end of the contract, he was sent to the reserves and ended up leaving two years later.
Müller filed a lawsuit against Mainz with his lawyer Horst Kletke arguing the time limitation on the contract was void. Müller demanded €261,000 for lost appearances.
Mainz argued the limitation was legal, with club lawyer Johan-Michael Menke stating that the law on part-time and temporary contracts allowed fix-term contracts for exceptional activities.
Professional football is “a high performance industry” and Bundesliga players do not have a normal form of employment as reflected in contracts in the millions, he said.
The judge agreed, stating time-limited contracts were legal because of the “unique nature” of footballers’ work. The decision brings an end to a legal battle that started back in 2014.
jh/mp (dpa/sid)
