Allegations of abuse shake the club
Investigations against ex-BVB managers are gaining momentum
12/01/2025 – 6:26 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The Dortmund public prosecutor’s office is investigating a former Borussia Dortmund manager. According to media reports, there was an apartment search last week.
The case has attracted public attention ever since President Hans-Joachim Watzke commented on the allegations at the Borussia Dortmund general meeting. Has an official worked at BVB for years – and been guilty of abuse? Now new details of the investigation are coming to light.
As the Germany editorial network initially reported, the accused’s apartment was searched. Upon request, senior public prosecutor Michael Burggräf confirmed the “search measures at the private address”. Technical equipment was seized. The evaluation is ongoing.
“Bild” also reports on the events and writes that the police carried out the measures last week in the small town of Herdecke, south of Dortmund. According to the investigators, there were no further searches, for example in the club’s rooms.
There are allegations of abuse relating to alleged acts in the 1980s and 1990s. Three men reported the former football official. The public prosecutor’s office also checks whether possible crimes could be time-barred. The fact that the investigators still ordered a search suggests that a full statute of limitations has not yet been established.
The accused denies the allegations. He announced through his media lawyer that he denied the allegations “clearly and sharply.” The presumption of innocence applies, which is why t-online reports without mentioning the name in order to protect personal rights and due to the serious allegations.
The former manager worked for the club for decades and was only expelled from the club in 2023. According to its own statement, BVB first learned of the allegations in 2010. Nevertheless, the official continued to be active in various roles. Only after new allegations emerged two years ago did the club draw conclusions.
The club has now initiated an external investigation into the case. At the most recent general meeting, Hans-Joachim Watzke called on those affected to contact the association. Reinhold Lunow, outgoing president, asked for forgiveness from those allegedly affected and demanded “that we develop a culture of looking, not of looking away.”