Germany can move ahead with a planned academy campus and new headquarters in Frankfurt after a referendum against the construction plans failed to secure the necessary votes.
The German Football Federation (DFB) plans to build a home for the association's administrative and sporting activities. The education of coaches and referees will take place in the new academy as well as scientific projects on the development of football. The national teams will also have their training courses there.
The DFB's sporting director, Hans-Dieter Flick, explained the developments on the association's website: "This project is very important for the development of our talents and the schooling of our coaches. We want to bundle our football knowledge at the academy and develop new ideas there which will keep us competitive on the top level."
Before the referendum, national team coach Joachim Low addressed the voters in an open letter. He called Frankfurt "a city of football" and ensured that he and his team have always felt at home there.
Only 62,900 voters backed the referendum to prohibit the construction plans on a horse-racetrack in Frankfurt Sachsenhausen. A quorum of at least 124,500 votes would have been necessary for the referendum to succeed.
DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach was happy with the result, citing that the vast majority of the citizens of Frankfurt has not backed the referendum.
"I assume that the supporters of the racetrack will accept this clear result just as we would have done had the decision been otherwise," Niersbach said.
DFB team manager Oliver Bierhoff, who is responsible for the academy project, is convinced that the vote will help those involved realize it coming to fruition.
"The no to the referendum was a yes to the future of German football," Niersbach said. "This lighthouse project will receive a lot of tailwind by this decision."