News
Borussia Dortmund partners with Polish first-division club Widzew Łódź
The partnership is based on mutual exchange in the areas of sports, club organization, commercial partnerships, and the foundation, with a clear focus on youth development and coaching education. The collaboration is made possible through the support of BVB partner Panattoni, its managing director and Widzew president Robert Dobrzycki, as well as BVB legend Łukasz Piszczek, who serves as an ambassador for the project.
“Poland and Borussia Dortmund have been bound by a genuine friendship for many years. Players like Ebi Smolarek, Robert Lewandowski, Kuba Błaszczykowski, and Łukasz Piszczek have helped foster tremendous enthusiasm for Black and Yellow there. Following the BVB academies in Warsaw and Silesia, the partnership with Widzew Łódź is the next step, and we are very excited about it. Both sides can certainly learn a lot from each other – especially in the area of youth development, which is the focus of this partnership,,” emphasizes Carsten Cramer, spokesman for the management of BVB.
As a knowledge partner, Borussia Dortmund supports Widzew with annual on-site expert days in Łódź, during which BVB specialists provide direct support to optimize local training structures. The collaboration between the two professional clubs is also intended to foster a regular exchange of new potential and opportunities in the soccer industry, with the goal of creating added value for all.
The partnership also offers special development opportunities for young talents at Widzew: As part of the “BVB Global School of Excellence” program and the “BVB International Academy Experience,” young players from Poland are invited to Dortmund. There, they train at the BVB Evonik Soccer Academy, located directly across from SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, and play a friendly match against a BVB youth team.
“However, the partnership also offers a new learning opportunity for BVB itself,” emphasizes Christian Diercks, managing director of the BVB Evonik Football Academy and BVB representative for the partnership: “We not only want to share our knowledge and experience, but we also have the opportunity to exchange insights and discuss how soccer is developing in different countries, where we stand – and where we want to go. We visit regularly and look forward to welcoming our Polish partners to Dortmund as part of the partnership.”