In accordance with the statutes, DFL GmbH is the first instance in the licensing procedure. In the interests of honest and fair competition, it reviews financial, sporting, legal and personnel-administrative criteria, as well as criteria relating to stadiums, sustainability and the Virtual Bundesliga. As part of the review of the various criteria, DFL GmbH may, in principle, impose conditions and/or obligations on applicants in accordance with the licensing regulations. One condition stipulates that certain requirements must be fulfilled by a specified time before the new season in order to be granted a licence for the coming season, subject to the fulfilment of all other criteria. In the case of a condition, on the other hand, it is determined which requirements must be complied with during the season after the licence has been granted.
The clubs have one week to appeal against the initial decision.
The second decision of the DFL GmbH is planned for the beginning of May. Affected clubs then have five days to file a new complaint. This will be followed by the first meeting of the Licensing Committee under the chairmanship of Jan-Christian Dreesen, which will make a final decision on second complaints in mid-May. The final decision of the Licensing Committee on the eventual fulfilment of conditions and the awarding of licences to these applicants is scheduled for the beginning of June.