Interview: Watzke claims “minority” of vocal fans killed the Bundesliga’s private equity deal
German Football League (DFL) Chairman and CEO of Dortmund, Hans-Joachim Watzke.
In a wide-ranging interview, DFL Chairman and Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke attributes last week’s collapse of a private equity investment deal in the DFL to a vocal minority of fans.
As Dortmund opens a New York office Watzke aims to replicate the success of their Asian offices in the Americas, targeting substantial revenue growth ahead of next year’s FIFA Club World Cup.
Why it matters: The backlash against the CVC deal and its ultimate collapse offers a window into the balancing act between tradition and modern financial strategies.
The perspective: Watzke played down the financial impact of the new FIFA Club World Cup, which kicks off next year, saying it served mostly as a window to promote Dortmund to the rest of the planet.
28 February 2024 - 4:25 PM
German Football League (DFL) Chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke has said that the disruption of a key private equity investment deal in German football is the work of a vocal minority, not the wider fan base.
“A mere five percent of organised fans opposed the investment, yet their influence was enough to unsettle the clubs and ultimately freeze the deal,” Watzke said in a call to international journalists, including Off The Pitch, from New York on Tu
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