A little less than two years and that’s it. Hans Joachim Watzke announced that he will not extend his contract with Borussia Dortmund, which lasts until the fall of 2025, but will leave the club where he has held various positions for more than 20 years after its expiration. More precisely, since the beginning of the 21st century, since he got his first engagement in the finance sector in 2001.Watzke is leaving as president of the Board of Directors and the first person in charge of the club’s sports affairs. The announcement of his retirement casts uncertainty over the statuses of coach Edin Terzić and sporting director Sebastian Kehl, whose contracts also run until 2025, although it is clear that their jobs are closely linked to results and if they are not good, changes could occur even earlier.With all that was said in recent years, Hans-Joachim Watzke remains an iconic figure of BVB historySaved us from bankruptcy in 2005 and served 20 years as BVB CEOMe and many of you probably wouldn’t be BVB fans if it weren’t for him. so I, Faisal, personally thank him. 🖤💛 https://t.co/j1NTWl3eDE pic.twitter.com/PaUYhRI6hr— 𝙁𝙎 🐝 (@Fs_BVB) January 8, 2024 Watzke will be 66 when he completes his last day of contract at the Westphalian Stadium, which was renamed Signal Iduna Park in 2006 to improve its financial woes, which were bluntened to a degree largely thanks to him.”It was always important to me that my departure be on my own initiative. I have been here for a very long time and I am very grateful to the club for giving me the opportunity. I see it as a great privilege. I will do my job with full strength and energy until the last day. My goal is to, in the last year of my contract, focus on strategy and transition,” announced Watzke, born in Marsberg, not far from Dortmund, who took out his Borussia membership card in 1996.##NAJAVA_MECA_7781482##Hans Joachim Watzke will be remembered as one of the people who managed to save Borussia Dortmund from bankruptcy in the crisis period of 2005. During his stay at the club, the yellow and black won three titles (the first being in the season when he arrived) and three German Cup and Super Cup trophies each, and the 2013 Champions League final was also reached.Borussia Dortmund’s chairman of the board, Hans-Joachim Watzke (64), will not extend his contract, which runs until the end of 2025, and will leave the board in the fall of next year. pic.twitter.com/65mPRsRulb— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) January 8, 2024 The German media write that the experienced official had planned to retire earlier, but after the coronavirus pandemic, he decided to stay for a while longer and help the club deal with the economic challenges that followed. Despite the sale of the leading players, last season Borussia Dortmund were one step away from the title, but in the last round they dropped points and the trophy stayed in Munich. This season the results are below the reputation of the club. Borussia sit only fifth with as many as 15 points less than the leading Bayer Leverkusen.
