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Bernhard Alpstaeg wanted to depose the board of directors at the FCL general assembly – instead he was duped and fled through the back exit after the general assembly.
The Knie circus has recently pitched its tent next to the Swisspor Arena in Lucerne’s Allmend. Circus? Symbolically, this fits perfectly with the events that have been taking place around FC Luzern for several months. On Wednesday evening at the general meeting of FCL Holding AG, the power struggle between majority shareholder Bernhard Alpstaeg and the board of directors finally escalated. The record of a memorable evening:
3:10 p.m.: The “More than 52” group, supporters of Josef Bieri and the FCL leadership, announced on their Advent blog that they now also own shares in FCL Holding AG and will be present at the ordinary general assembly. Josef Bieri has sold part of his 48 percent stake to over 50 individuals in recent weeks. Means: In addition to the board of directors, not only Alpstaeg, but also the new shareholders will take part in the AGM.
4:59 p.m.: FCL Chairman of the Board Stefan Wolf enters the Wirtshaus zum Schützenhaus together with Josef Bieri – located right next to the Swisspor Arena and the scene of the next act in the “Theater FCL”. The ordinary general assembly of FCL Holding AG, the mother of the three operating stock corporations, will take place here from 7 p.m. Furthermore, the dismissal of the board of directors by Bernhard Alpstaeg is considered the most likely scenario.
5:22 p.m.: Majority shareholder Bernhard Alpstaeg (52 percent) arrives at the Schützenhaus tavern, chauffeured by a bodyguard. Overall, several bodyguards ensure his safety that evening. Alpstaeg gets out on the passenger side and enters the restaurant through the main entrance. In the far corner of the crowded dining room he is waiting for his entourage (lawyers and communications consultants). A bodyguard fends off people who want to approach Alpstaeg.
6 p.m.: Alpstaeg and his entourage go upstairs. Wolf, Bieri and the other board members asked him to meet there. They tell Alpstaeg that they will take away 25 percent of his shares at the AGM that is about to begin. Background: In the eyes of the board of directors, the transfer of this 25 percent package from ex-president Walter Stierli to Alpstaeg in January 2015 was not legal. At the same time, Alpstaeg learns that the board of directors has filed criminal charges against him because of this deal.
6:12 p.m.: Alpstaeg comes back into the dining room. Because this is slowly but surely filling up with the new small shareholders, he is relocating. Two bodyguards escort Alpstaeg through his opponents into an adjoining room. There he waits for the beginning of the AGM.
Alpstaeg refuses to enter the hall. He feels threatened.
6.40 p.m.: Josef Bieri enters the restaurant and welcomes the new shareholders and media representatives. And when asked by Blick, he confirmed that he had sold several of his shares to individuals.
6:52 p.m.: Suddenly Honorary President Walter Stierli appears in the Schützenhaus and goes into the room where Alpstaeg is waiting.
19 o’clock: Actually, the GM should start now, but according to the participants of the GM, Alpstaeg refuses to enter the hall. He feels threatened and his safety is not guaranteed given the large number of shareholders. Alpstaeg wants to be represented at the AGM by Walter Stierli.
7:10 p.m.: Stierli leaves the hall because, as a non-shareholder, he was not admitted to the AGM by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Stefan Wolf. The FCL Honorary President goes back to Alpstaeg in the next room.
7:11 p.m.: After Stierli was bailed out, Alpstaeg went into the “lion’s den” after all, and without a word he took a seat on the edge of the general assembly hall.
7:14 p.m.: Alpstaeg is informed by the board of directors what they had already announced at 6 p.m.: He only has 27 instead of 52 percent of the shares, from this moment Alpstaeg is no longer able to hold a majority. In addition, he now has a criminal complaint on his neck. Alpstaeg takes note of this and subsequently endures the emotional votes of several shareholders without objection.
7:36 p.m.: Walter Stierli leaves the Schützenhaus through the kitchen and from there through the back exit. Accompanied by one of the Alpstaeg bodyguards.
8 p.m.: Alpstaeg’s motion to vote out the entire Board of Directors of FCL Holding AG is rejected. He has to swallow the result because he does not currently have the majority of shares. Instead, the existing board of directors, headed by President Stefan Wolf, will be unanimously re-elected by the holders of the 48 percent package (Bieri and small shareholders). The majority principle applies.
8:05 p.m.: The AGM is closed. Alpstaeg leaves the room immediately and goes back to his waiting room.
The small shareholders celebrate the stage victory with beer
8:15 p.m.: Alpstaeg leaves the Schützenhaus through the same back door as Stierli, escorted and shielded by bodyguards. He looks devastated, ducks away from the photographers, doesn’t answer any of the reporters’ questions and gets into an Audi SUV with Thurgau license plates. The doors slam and Alpstaeg is gone.
8:15 p.m.: During Alpstaeg’s departure, Josef Bieri gave a passionate speech to the board of directors and the individual shareholders, in which he thanked them for their support.
8.30 p.m.: Wolf, Bieri and the remaining board members refrain from making an official statement to the media. FC Luzern sent a communiqué for this and referred to a press conference on Thursday morning. Alpstaeg spokesman Sacha Wigdorovits tells the media that what happened on Wednesday evening really motivated Alpstaeg to go through with his plan. In addition, he will sue as soon as possible on two points: against the deletion of 25 percent of his shares from the share register and against the holding of the AGM under the circumstance that he could not vote with a majority of shares.
8.40 p.m.: Beer is served in the Schützenhaus, the small shareholders celebrate their stage victory. Meanwhile, Alpstaeg’s advisors and lawyers are sitting at a table in another room and discussing how to proceed. One thing is clear: the FCL drama is only just getting started. Both parties feel they are right. The ball is now in the hands of the judiciary.
Big showdown in Lucerne: The FCL future belongs to Giulia Alpstaeg(02:01)
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