Annual general meeting 2025: “There are few football clubs in such good health as Borussia Dortmund” | OneFootball

Silke Seidel, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board, praised Hans-Joachim Watzke’s more than 20 years of service at the helm of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA. The 66-year-old had already announced in January 2024 that he intended to step down from the management board in autumn 2025. As the club’s statutes do not allow for dual roles, Watzke, who had been elected president of Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund the day before, resigned from his position on the management board of the KGaA. “An era that has shaped BVB is coming to an end,” said Seidel. Watzke stands for “sporting continuity, economic stability” and the development of a culture of values: “When he took over more than 20 years ago, BVB was facing insolvency. Today, thanks to him and his staff, BVB is in seventh place in the European club rankings.” Seidel concluded her speech with the words: “Thank you for your always obvious passion for Borussia Dortmund.”

The chairwoman of the supervisory board then read out a letter in which Watzke addressed the meeting. He explained his absence, expressed his gratitude for the trust and support he had received and said, among other things: “This is a turning point for BVB, but a soft one. I am certain that the management is in good hands.” The Presidential Committee will discuss adjustments to responsibilities within the management team in the near future.

Borussia Dortmund generated consolidated revenue of €526.0 million in the 2024/25 financial year, the highest in the company’s history. Including gross transfer fees, gross consolidated output amounted to €589.6 million. Of the net profit of €7,653,240.02 reported in the annual financial statements, around €6.6 million is to be distributed as dividends (6 cents per share), with the remaining amount of just over €1 million being allocated to retained earnings. BVB aims to pay a continuous dividend, provided this is covered by earnings and cash flow.

“We are a healthy and successful European football enterprise,” explained managing director Thomas Tress, adding: “There are few football clubs in such good health as Borussia Dortmund.” The balance sheet shows loan liabilities of only €34 million, “and these relate exclusively to investments in infrastructure”.

“Borussia Dortmund’s growth story is not over yet,” emphasised managing director Carsten Cramer: “500 million is by no means the end of the line. We are extremely ambitious and confident in the capabilities of our BVB.” And this despite the fact that Borussia Dortmund are not based in a major metropolitan area and/or does not have additional financial backers like the six opponents ranked higher in the European rankings. “We have achieved all this together with you,” said Cramer, addressing the 962 limited shareholders present.

“People are moved by Borussia Dortmund,” said Cramer. He emphasised cooperation and mutual support, underlining that “sustainability is not just a marketing buzzword for us” and, with regard to the sporting situation and the mood in the club, said: “We take yesterday’s election result at the general meeting as an incentive to present a better image. Starting today, we will work together on the future of Borussia Dortmund. I don’t want to sugarcoat anything, but I also don’t like it when things are made to look worse than they are.”

Lars Ricken, the managing director responsible for sport, announced his intention to “score points with creative ideas” and, with an eye on the much more financially powerful English Premier League, said , “to see the economic differences as opportunities and not to complain. We have invested in youth and perspective.” Träsch summed up: “My colleagues have just shown you how much horsepower Borussia Dortmund have under the bonnet — we’re going to put our foot down!”Boris Rupert