‘I would rather beg for money than ask Bayern’ - Dortmund CEO reveals secret of Bayern loan

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has revealed he never asked Bayern Munich for money during the club’s infamous 2005 financial crisis.

BVB were on the brink of bankruptcy 14 years ago and were assisted by funds from their arch rivals, just as they were during a similar situation in 2003.

It had been widely believed that Dortmund contacted the Bavarians for financial help, but Watzke has claimed he never asked for as much as ‘one Euro’ from Bayern.

The 60-year-old made such admissions in his book Echte Liebe (Real Love) which goes on sale on October 14.

In one of the snippets released ahead of its launch, Watzke has said he would not ‘humiliate’ Dortmund by asking for financial assistance from Bayern.

“It was very surprising, to speak ironically, the subject of Bayern loaning us money becoming a public topic when we won the Bundesliga for the first time,” he said. 

“I tried to defend ourselves a little against what was the goal of that story: To create the image of me going to Bayern and asking for money. But I would never ask FC Bayern for one Euro.

“I respect that club very much, but I would rather beg for money under a bridge in Dortmund than ask Bayern for it. To ask you biggest rival for money, you can't humiliate yourself more than that in this world,” he added.

Watzke has also revealed he shared a less-than-friendly relationship with Bayern president Uli Hoeness - who worked as the club’s general manager during the early 2000s - but did state he had ‘a huge respect’ for the former World Cup winner.

“We are both very, very different. We were never close to each other, it will never be enough for a friendship between us,” he said.

“Uli is an incredibly emotional person and if you put yourself in any way against Bayern and Uli Hoeness, you threaten always to be completely plowed under. His trick at the time was to engage you in verbal skirmishes."

Since their financial difficulties last decade, Dortmund have grown to be become of one the famous and successful clubs in Germany, while establishing a staunch rivalry with Bayern.

The two met in the 2013 Champions League final and between them have won the last 11 Bundesliga titles