Watzke hopes for Olympics in the Ruhr, “Better than in Munich” | OneFootball

This Saturday, the decision will be made on which region Germany will put forward in the race to host the Olympic Games. Hans-Joachim Watzke is already leaving no doubt about whom he supports: the “Cologne Rhine-Ruhr” bid — and therefore not rival Munich.

The BVB president is publicly backing Summer Games on the Rhine and Ruhr. His reasoning: such a major event is not just a question of location, but always also a boost for growth in the respective area. And in his view, that effect would be better placed in NRW than in Bavaria.

“I am convinced that this boost would be much better suited to the Ruhr region and the Rhineland than, for example, Munich,” Watzke said in an interview with Welt. He also cites the history and the mentality of the people in North Rhine-Westphalia to support his view.

“This is where the first economic miracle already had its foundations. I also believe that, because of their nature, people in NRW find it a little easier to think beyond the borders of their federal state than perhaps the typical Bavarian, who first thinks of Bavaria as well,” said the influential DFB vice president.

For BVB, the campaign also has a concrete sporting dimension. Dortmund’s stadium is included in the concept as a venue for football matches, and the Westfalenhalle is also mentioned. So for BVB, this is not just a side issue.

Decision between Rhine-Ruhr, Berlin and Munich

On Saturday, the delegates of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) will vote on the national candidate for the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Summer Games. The Rhine-Ruhr region, with Cologne as the “leading city,” is competing against Berlin and Munich.

In the recent past, Watzke had mainly been in the spotlight in his role in the club’s internal future planning, for example when it came to the contracts of several BVB executives. Now he is backing a project whose benefits he sees as extending far beyond sport.

Photo: IMAGO

Watzke sees the Games as a driver of the transformation the country must go through anyway. “If the Olympic and Paralympic Games are understood as an additional engine for the transformation process that Germany must undergo anyway, then in my opinion the decision can go in favor of CologneRhineRuhr,” said the 67-year-old.

His commitment is unequivocal: “We at BVB, and I personally as well, are 100 percent behind the idea of Olympic and Paralympic Games in Germany. Our country needs positive long-term goals in order to look to the future with confidence again.” Between 1:45 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, it will be clear which region receives the DOSB’s backing.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.