Even before Hans-Joachim Watzke stood for election as the new club president at Borussia Dortmund’s general meeting on Sunday evening, sports director Lars Ricken included him in his eagerly awaited speech.
Watzke himself also spoke to the several thousand BVB members on Sunday and said goodbye in his role as long-time managing director of the Black and Yellows.
Lars Ricken, who had been developed as a responsible official at Borussia Dortmund under Watzke’s leadership, then formulated a clear goal for the season for BVB in his speech.
“We are a big club and we have to get back into the Champions League. And I think we should show again that we are ready for a title in the DFB Cup!” said the Dortmund native, who has held the position of sports director at the club he loves since May 2024.
BVB faces Bayer Leverkusen twice
Ricken then turned his attention again to the competition in which BVB once again has the best chance of winning the title this year: “Dear team, we still have two games beforehand. But, dear team, then there is a game against Leverkusen and my special wish as Borussia, as a native of Dortmund, is that our future president Aki Watzke can hold the DFB Cup in his hands at the end of the season.”
The Westphalia team will first face FC Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday evening and will then face the Werkself from Leverkusen twice.
First we’ll go away to the BayArena on the 12th Bundesliga matchday. Three days later, Bayer Leverkusen will be visiting Dortmund in the round of 16 of the DFB Cup. In the Bundesliga, the two top clubs are currently in third place (Bayer 04) and fourth (BVB).
BVB won the cup competition for the last time in 2021.