After 55 days of pre-season preparations it's finally back to fighting for points! 81360 spectators in the sold out SIGNAL IDUNA PARK celebrate a hard fought, but deserved 2-1 win to start the season against Mainz 05. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores both goals in sweltering temperatures.

Not just the results on the pitch are going to plan, but the accounting figures are also looking very good: Borussia Dortmund achieves a record turnover of 376.3 million Euros in the financial year 2015/16. That is an increase of roughly 100 million Euros or 36.3 per cent compared to the year before. The net profit is 29.4 million Euros more than in season 2014/15. Even without the transfers (amongst others Hummels, Gündogan, Kampl, Hofmann) the turnover would have still been 6.7 per cent more than in the previous year - and this despite the fact that BVB only played in the UEFA Europa League and did not compete in the Champions League. Hans-Joachim Watzke announces that the next target in the mid-term is to achieve turnover figures of over 400 million Euros: "it is important that we compete at the highest level to achieve these figures. Our sporting and financial position is unique in the 107 years of Borussia Dortmund history." The BVB CEO also emphasised: "our roots lie at the Borsigplatz."

The team gets fine tuned for the new season at the training camp in Bad Ragaz in Switzerland, just as they had done in the previous years. One by one the players who took part in EURO 2016 join the squad. Mario Götze and André Schürrle hold their first press conference together in Black and Yellow. "You already look forward to playing in the Signal Iduna Park when you are the  opponent. I can imagine it will be fantastic to now also have the fans behind you", was Schürrle's comment. Returning hero Götze was of the opinion: "things are new but just as they were. I am looking forward to what will come and to as many positive results as possible. It will definitely be a very, very nice year."

30000 fans attend the open training in the Signal Iduna Park when the team returns to Dortmund for the Evonik team presentation. One by one the players are called out from the tunnel by stadium announcer Nobby Dickel. The eight new signings get a special welcome. European Champions Raphael Guerreiro is thoughtful after receiving a special applause and is very impressed by the atmosphere in the stadium. There is also a lot of applause for the injured Marco Reus and the returning hero Mario Götze.

Unlucky defeat in the Supercup

In the Supercup Borussia Dortmund don't manage to get their seventh win. The Black Yellows miss numerous chances in front of 81360 spectators and in the end they lose to FC Bayern Munich unluckily by 0-2 in a classic game. However the team does a great job by overcoming Trier in the DFB Cup. Head Coach Thomas Tuchel's team make sure of victory by taking the lead 3-0 in the sold out Mosel stadium in the first half: Shinji Kagawa (8./33.) and André Schürrle score the goals. BVB has many chances in the second half to extend the lead, however they can't hit the target or they are out of luck: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hits the post and the cross bar three times.

The Olympic football final in Rio ends with a penalty shoot-out drama: The German selection with the two Borussia players Matthias Ginter and Sven Bender, who hit the Brazilian cross bar in the first half, only miss one penalty and that means they just miss out on the gold medal.

Jakub Blaszczykowski, who has been with BVB for the longest time apart from Roman Weidenfeller, takes on a new sporting challenge and moves on to VfL Wolfsburg after nine years with Borussia Dortmund. Sporting Director Michael Zorc said: "Kuba is an extraordinary professional, someone who we have grown to value highly not just as a player but also as a person and someone who's career we will always follow." Hans-Joachim Watzke added: "he has deserved the right to be a real Borussia man, a really good sort, someone we will always feel close to."

The Champions League draw puts BVB in a challenging group with great destinations and famous opponents. BVB will face RealMadrid for the fourth time in four years, they will also face Sporting Lisbon and Legia Warsaw. Boris Rupert