Borussia Dortmund’s managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke has responded to criticism from FC Bayern’s ranks. Former CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had previously questioned BVB’s transfer strategy.
“I didn’t ask him for advice or an assessment. Some things you simply can’t judge from the Munich comfort zone,” Watzke told the “Ruhr Nachrichten”, referring to Rummenigge, with whom he has actually had a friendly relationship for several years .
In an interview with the “Funke Mediengruppe”, the current supervisory board of FC Bayern identified a “youth craze” in German football and explicitly mentioned BVB.
“Far too many transfers were made to create a business model in which the players are later sold for a profit,” said the 68-year-old, who resigned from his position as club boss of the German record champions after the 2020/2021 season .
Departures like Jadon Sancho to Manchester United, Erling Haaland to Manchester City or Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid were not just a loss for BVB, said Rummenigge. “The entire Bundesliga is losing attractions.”
BVB has to “make a bigger transfer every now and then”
Watzke admitted that BVB “certainly has to make a larger transfer every now and then for economic reasons.”
His club must “calculate soundly, because we are also required to invest intensively in the infrastructure. In our training ground and our stadium, which will soon be 50 years old. We also have to continually generate money for this,” emphasized the BVB boss, who now also holds top positions at the German Football League (DFL) and the German Football Association (DFB).
According to Watzke, contrary to what many observers believe, there are once again professionals in the current BVB squad who promise greater transfer profits in the future. “I see these players, but I’ll be damned if I mention their names. That’s not doing them any favors,” said the 64-year-old.