For the Red & Whites it is the highlight of their pre-season friendly fixture list, while for the Black & Yellows it is the first game after their cup victory in Berlin. Borussia Dortmund, eight-time German champions, now four-time DFB Cup winners, and current Champions League participants will be hosted at the Stadion Essen on Tuesday 11. July. At the behest of the Essen based company DEICHMANN, Borussia will play their first game under new manager Peter Bosz in Hafenstraße.

There are many things that connect the two traditional clubs from Dortmund and Essen. Players such as Frank Mill, Manfred Burgsmüller, Jürgen "Cobra" Wegmann and Willi "the Duck" Lippens wore both the red and white of Essen as well as the black and yellow of Dortmund during their careers, and there have existed cordial relations between the two fan-bases for decades. Furthermore, BVB and RWE run a fan-shop together in the Essen shopping centre at Limbecker Platz.

What also links the clubs is one of Germany's most successful businesses. DEICHMANN has its roots in Essen-Borbeck, and is as such only a stone's throw away from the Red & Whites' home ground. And it was this traditional Essen business that asked for Borussia to come and play a friendly match in Hafenstraße. BVB were only too happy to oblige. 

"We know that Borussia Dortmund has many fans and friends in Essen because of the special bond that exists between the clubs. Therefore, we are glad to be able to begin our pre-season friendlies there, and to be able to offer the spectators a genuine Ruhr classic against Red & White Essen", said Carsten Cramer, BVB Director of Sales and Marketing.

Prof. Dr. Michael Welling, Chairman of the Board at Red & White Essen, continued: "It is great to see that a company operating internationally tends to its roots. As such, we at Red & White Essen wish to offer our heartfelt thanks to DEICHMANN for this initiative. This game has real significance for many people living here in the region. Many Essen fans cross their fingers for Borussia on the weekend, as do many BVB fans for RWE."

And so it is not only the Essen football fans who have had the 11. July marked in their calendars for a long time already. The match begins at 19:00 CET summertime in the Stadion Essen. Tickets for the match are available from Thursday at 10:00 CET summertime, for the home stands in the RWE fan-shop, on the Onlineshop, via the Ticket-Hotline as well as from recognised advance ticket sale outlets. Tickets for the away stands (G1-G3) are available exclusively from the Essen BVB Fan-Shop at Limbecker Platz.