23 years President at BVB: Reinhard Rauball leaves the black and yellow command bridge

Reinhard Rauball says goodbye after 23 years as BVB president. A look back at his successful career as club manager and savior of Borussia Dortmund.

Of course, Reinhard Rauball was not allowed to leave the black and yellow stage without parting gifts: Hasan Caglilikalp, head of the integration sports department, presented Rauball with the ball with which the BVB blind footballers had won the derby against Schalke.

Subsequently, Rauball was said goodbye by managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke and the members present at the annual general meeting, with applause lasting several minutes.

Rauball had previously announced that he no longer wanted to run for another term as BVB President. “I’ve been proud every minute of my tenure to be the president of this great club,” said BVB president Reinhard Rauball after 23 years in office.

First term: 1979 – 1982

During his first term of office from 1979 to 1982, the then 32-year-old lawyer went down in history as the youngest president of a Bundesliga soccer team. At that time, BVB was a solid midfield club – neither sporting nor financial worries plagued the club.

Second term: 1984 – 1986

Things looked different during Rauball’s second term: Borussia Dortmund was in the middle of an economic crisis. Things were also not going well for the club in terms of sport – a solid midfield club had become a relegation candidate. However, the crisis was successfully overcome, not least thanks to Reinhard Rauball.

Third term: 2004 – 2022

Shortly after the turn of the millennium there was a crisis again at BVB. Borussia Dortmund was on the verge of bankruptcy. Crisis manager Rauball came back and promised BVB fans better times – and he was right. During Rauball’s third term in office, BVB not only recovered economically, the club even won two championships, won the DFB Cup three times and was in the final of the Champions League in 2013.