After the announced departure of the long-time club boss, the BVB legend could also leave the club. Watzke himself explains why.
At Borussia Dortmund, the future of advisor Matthias Sammer (56) seems to be linked to the person of club boss Hans-Joachim Watzke (64). “It’s connected to each other, so it’s linked to each other on both sides,” said the BVB managing director in the Bild interview on Welt TV am Sonntag.
And Watzke even commented on the contractual situation of Sammer, European champion in 1996, with the Black and Yellows: “The contract basically states that he is my advisor.” At the beginning of January, Watzke announced that he would be leaving Borussia as managing director at the end of 2025. The ex-professional and coach Sammer has been an external consultant at BVB since March 2018. At games he can always be seen in the stands alongside Watzke.
“Central difference to Bavaria”
The BVB boss also made it clear that he would probably not continue to pull the strings in the background like Honorary President Uli Hoeneß did at Bayern Munich in Dortmund. “The key difference to Bavaria is our stock exchange listing. There is a clearer separation between operational responsibility and controlling responsibility.”
But it is also true: “BVB is my club. Of course it doesn’t belong to me. But I will always serve the club in some way if it wishes,” said Watzke. He initially left it open as to whether he would run for the presidency: “As long as Reinhold Lunow is president, I won’t concern myself with the issue. He’s a fine guy, we’re on friendly terms.”