Dear fans and friends of Borussia Dortmund!

When Christmas spirit starts to fill the streets and houses and the scent of candles, cakes and mulled wine fill the air, you know it is that most wonderful time of the year once more!

The 2017 Christmas season is a special one for the BVB family at the end of a notable year. We had to pull together like never before when the Borussia Dortmund team bus was rocked by a cowardly bomb attack. The way our boys dealt with the shock deserves the utmost respect. The final straight in the Bundesliga ended with renewed qualification for the UEFA Champions League. And, together, we celebrated victory in the DFB Cup. The fitting finale was just reward at the end of a strength-sapping season in every regard.

It is also a true delight to see the BVB family grow each year, with membership of the club now surpassing 150,000, and to be there when we write history and celebrate success. Our table-tennis department reached the grand old age of 70 in 2017. And we were delighted to welcome the addition of a BVB integration through sport department, taking in blind football and goalball. A total of six members of our Under-17 handball team were part of the Germany squad that secured the European Championship title for the first time. What’s more, our under-19 football side defended their crown to become German champions.

Heartfelt emotion is part and parcel of our BVB. We would like to express our thanks and gratitude for your support, passion, loyalty and real love in 2017! Together, we can look back on a year that has made our club stronger than ever and one in which the celebration of success rightly outweighed sadness at defeat. Please continue to remain a huge and valuable part of our BVB family! We look forward to experiencing together an exciting year on the pitch and a hopefully peaceful one away from it in 2018.

Borussia Dortmund wishes you and your family a very merry Christmas.