Borussia Dortmund increased its sales to 276 million euros and its operating profit (EBITDA) to 55.6 million euros in the past financial year. Hans-Joachim Watzke and Thomas Tress, the CEOs, announced this today at the annual press conference on the preliminary figures for the financial year 2014/2015. 

In the financial year 2014/2015 (01.07.2014 to 30.06.2015) Borussia Dortmund generated revenue in excess of €276 million compared with the previous year’s €260.7 million. Earnings after tax amount to €5.5 million and therefore lies below the previous year’s €12 million. This is because one-time costs incurred for the replacement of all loan liabilities amounting to €4.3 million reduced earnings.

Completely free of debt, substantial funds

Hans-Joachim Watzke stressed that “the EBITDA rate of over 20% in relation to sales shows the enormous profitability of Borussia Dortmund. The operating profit is an important factor: it decides whether we will continue to make money.”

“In light of our exit in the second round of the Champions League and finishing seventh in the Bundesliga and therefore the associated loss in TV revenue and performance based premiums from sponsors as well as the one-time costs incurred from the reduction of the debt burden, we are very pleased with this result”, explained Thomas Tress.

The absolute primacy of competitiveness

Hans-Joachim Watzke announced a “slight readjustment of Borussia Dortmund’s strategy” and sketched out the “absolute primacy of competitiveness. Everything that we have earnt we invest in football in order to maintain the position that we have worked so hard to reach in the past decade. We want to keep within our means”. Nevertheless, this primacy remains among the most important premises. “Never again will we put ourselves in debt for sporting success!” Thomas Tress: “Today we can invest in sporting competitiveness with the money we previously had to use in the debt payments.

Considering the earnings situation in the group the management intends to propose to the board of directors a dividend share in excess of €0,05 for the financial year 2014/15. The company’s supervisory board will make a decision at the meeting on 9. September 2015.