Watzke: Financially “normality” at BVB – advertises for partners in foreign marketing

Announcements from the club boss

After the corona pandemic, Borussia Dortmund is back on the road to financial success and wants to involve its shareholders after the end of the current financial year. Dividends will be paid out to shareholders again next year, as BVB managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke announced on Monday at the general meeting of shareholders in the Westfalenhalle.

Borussia Dortmund GmbH and Co. KGaA, which is listed on the stock exchange, made losses of around 150 million during the corona pandemic and canceled its dividend. In the 2022/2023 financial year (June 30), BVB recorded a profit of almost 10 million euros for the first time.

“Normality has now returned,” said Watzke, who referred to a constantly sold-out stadium. However, the BVB managing director was disappointed with the shareholders about the current share price. “To be honest, it depresses me.” Watzke referred to a stock market price of over 9 euros in the time before Corona. “Then I can understand that people lost hope at the beginning of the pandemic.”

The current assessment of the club can no longer be understood, said Watzke. On Monday, the price of BVB shares was around 3.60 euros. Watzke referred to the valuation of large banks, which see BVB at between 1.25 and 1.5 billion euros. At the current stock market price, the Bundesliga soccer team is worth 400 million euros.

BVB boss Watzke on foreign marketing of the Bundesliga and biggest disappointment

Watzke described the popularity of the Bundesliga, digitalization and women’s football as growth drivers for the next few years. The BVB boss once again spoke out in favor of marketing the Bundesliga abroad with the help of an investor. “The league is looking for a partner to help them with this,” said Watzke, who is also chairman of the supervisory board of the German Football League (DFL). The BVB boss emphasized that the possible partner would have no influence on sporting issues or kick-off times.

A decision on a strategic marketing partnership will be made at the DFL general meeting on December 11th. Similar plans had already failed in May. The project has met with criticism in the active fan scene. Watzke, who experienced his 20th general meeting as BVB managing director, described the season finale in May 2023 with the lost championship on the last match day as a turning point. “That was the biggest sporting disappointment of my life,” emphasized Watzke in his annual report.

The club boss announced talks about his own future with the black and yellow for the beginning of 2024. He will sit down with BVB President Reinhold Lunow in January. The contracts of Watzke as managing director of Borussia Dortmund GmbH and Co. KGaA and his colleagues Thomas Treß (finance) and Carsten Cramer (marketing) expire in 2025.

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