Official: Watzke steps down as chairman from Dortmund's board of directors | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund can confirm that Hans-Joachim Watzke has stepped down as the Chairman on the Board of Directors. 

The Westphalian club hosted their members' assembly this afternoon and gave Watzke a standing ovation as he departed the podium.

At the start of 2024, BVB stated Watzke would remain in the CEO position at Borussia Dortmund for just one more year.

He was 64 years old at the time that the announcement was made, having spent more than 20 years working with the club.

It was seen as confirmation that the end of an era was coming for the Bundesliga side, with Lars Ricken set to take over his post. 

Watzke was largely credited with overcoming BVB's financially dire straights in 2005-06 by implementing strict cost-cutting measures. 

Thereafter, the club soared into a period of success with two Bundesliga titles, three DFB-Pokal cups and two Champions League final appearances.