Respectable success for Bernhard Alpstaeg in the stadium dispute

the essentials in brief

• The City of Lucerne is discontinuing the reversion proceedings for the Swissporarena.
• FCL Holding AG strongly criticizes this decision.
• For Bernhard Alpstaeg, the decision is a respectable success in the stadium dispute.

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In autumn 2023, a reversion procedure was initiated regarding FC Luzern’s Swissporarena. The city council has now discontinued this.

In the dispute over the violation of pre-emption rights for the stadium shares vis-à-vis the city, no contractual obligations were violated. Bernhard Alpstaeg was the only board member of Stadion Luzern AG to assure that the building lease agreement had always been adhered to.

There is agreement that the “alleged violation” of pre-emption or purchase rights to the shares should neither affect nor impair stadium operations. This was stated in a statement on Tuesday.

Alpstaeg thanks for “constructive dialogue”

Bernhard Alpstaeg welcomes the city’s decision – for him, the discontinuation of the proceedings is a partial success. He is particularly pleased that the city council shares his view that Stadion Luzern AG, which he controls, has not violated any contractual obligations under the building lease agreement. He said this in a statement.

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He also welcomed the fact that the City of Lucerne, as a representative of the Football-Sport Lucerne Foundation, has delegated City Clerk Michèle Bucher to the Board of Directors of Stadion Luzern AG. With a view to the Women’s European Championship in 2025, a six-figure sum is to be invested in FC Lucerne’s Swissporarena.

In his statement, Alpstaeg thanks the city council for the “constructive dialogue” and the continued trust. He hopes that the dispute with the board of directors of FCL Holding AG will now be ended as quickly as possible.

Frustration at FC Luzern

FCL Holding AG is not very happy about the city council’s decision and speaks in a press release of a “unilateral agreement” between the city and Alpstaeg.

The city is thereby shirking its responsibility and preventing the stadium from belonging to the city and thus to the people of Lucerne, it is said.

“The fact that the representatives of FCL Holding AG, as the holder of pre-emption rights and shareholder of Stadion Luzern AG, were not invited to these separate meetings by the City of Lucerne is unacceptable and incomprehensible.”

With these one-sided negotiations, the city of Lucerne missed a great opportunity to lead the parties to an amicable solution.