Borussia Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke has revealed 2025 was the toughest year of his 20 at the club. Speaking on Sky programme 'Meine Geschichte' (broadcast: Friday, 11.15pm), he said: "The way it then unfolded, with one intrigue or another also directed against me, it was a difficult year for me, the most difficult of the 20 years."
When asked why, Watzke said: "Because certain people simply wanted to prevent me from becoming president! (...) And the fact that that happens at BVB, after 20 years, really affected me! That's why it was hard. (…) I was never a dictator."
At the heart of it was the power struggle that raged at Borussia Dortmund in the late summer of last year. Watzke planned to step down from his long-serving role as managing director in October 2025 and was seen as the designated president for the election four weeks later. Then, in a surprise move and against previous agreements, interim boss Reinhold Lunow (73) announced that he would also run. A short but fairly fierce mud-slinging campaign followed. Lunow ultimately withdrew.
So badly did it affect Watzke that, shortly before his election at the general meeting on 25 November, he considered walking away from it all. "Basically, everything inside me was raging to say: Just sort out your shit on your own! (…) But that's not how I was brought up. Roughly what I have just said was going through my head between backstage and the stage."
On his way to the lectern, though, he decided he had to stand after all. "With every metre, the degree of outrage gave way to the degree of responsibility," said Watzke.
Getty ImagesSince when had Hans-Joachim Watzke been working at BVB?
He was eventually elected with 59 per cent of the vote. It was an unexpectedly poor result and one that fell short of his own expectations, as he later admitted.
Watzke served as managing director of the Black and Yellows from 2005 to 2025. He guided the club through a severe financial crisis, then helped shape one of the most successful periods in its history. Watzke is also, among other roles, league president of the DFB and first vice-president of the DFB.