Gelsenkirchen (dpa) – Clemens Tönnies does not want to become an honorary member of FC Schalke 04. According to information from “Ruhr Nachrichten”, the former club patron asked a fan of the second division soccer team to withdraw his application for honorary membership. The fan complied with this wish.
“We owe Clemens Tönnies the Veltins Arena, the Knappenschmiede and the entire Berger Feld, to name a few, with his support and commitment,” wrote Schalke member Manfred Nentwich accordingly. Schalke’s supervisory board, of which Tönnies was chairman for a long time, is said to have already complied with this request. But the explosive act does not happen now.
Tönnies therefore does not want to become an honorary member because Schalke need rest in the fight for promotion back to the Bundesliga. Tönnies wanted to spare the association a discussion about possible honorary membership.
The 65-year-old was repeatedly controversial in his more than 20-year tenure at Schalke. Among other things, he came under criticism for racist statements that he regretted. After leaving almost two years ago, he offered his heart club to expand the sponsorship of his meat empire after the Gazprom exit. But the club refused.