Hans-Joachim Watzke watched his first games at the Rote Erde as a child, taking up his first role at the club when he became treasurer towards the end of the 1990s. Now he presides over the executive board – both a fan and an official in equal measure, a Black & Yellow through and through. On Thursday, he will present his biography "Echte Liebe" (True Love). The event is sold-out.

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With the help of his biographer Michael Horeni, the BVB boss, who celebrated his 60th birthday this summer, gives the reader deep insights into his life. Along with club president Dr. Reinhard Rauball, Watzke helped the first German team ever to win a European trophy to avoid almost-certain bankruptcy in the first few years of the millennium. He reveals what deeply moved him during this period and how we managed to put the club back on the path to success. A stroke of luck, perhaps the stroke of luck, was the appointment of Jürgen Klopp as boss.

The 2011 and 2012 title-winning coach will be there when Watzke and Horeni present their work to the public on Thursday. ARD presenter Alexander Bommes will oversee 90 exciting minutes with the trio of Watzke, Horeni and Klopp.

"Echte Liebe. Ein Leben mit dem BVB" (True Love. A Life with BVB) – 288 pages, including 16 pages of colour pictures – on sale from 14 October 2019 at a retail price of €20.00.