Dr. Reinhard Rauball is to serve an eighth term as the president of Borussia Dortmund. The lawyer was re-elected almost unanimously during the BV Borussia 09 e.V. general meeting. "I'm absolutely delighted to accept the office," Rauball said.

As well as stints from 1979 to 1982 and 1984 to 1986, Rauball has held the position uninterruptedly since 2004 – making him the club's longest-serving president. With the exception of two abstentions, the 1,165 of the 159,037 club members in attendance all voted for the 72-year-old, ensuring an approval rating of 99.82 percent. "I'd like to thank you for your support over the past three years," said Rauball to a standing ovation. "I'll try to do my best."

Having completed their morning training session, the senior squad arrived at the general meeting to a mixed reception at 12:10 CET. "Borussia Dortmund are more than the last Bundesliga match," declared Hans-Joachim Watzke. Rather than issuing a harsh criticism of the players, the chief executive officer reminded them of their responsibilities. "The last two Bundesliga match were not good at all. I'm suffering like a dog. Just as you are. But we must never lose sight of the bigger picture. The Borussia Dortmund way is to analyse in a calm, level-headed and critical manner." He subsequently called upon the team to "follow words with actions" and declared: "We can lose a match, but we must ensure that our 11 million supporters across Germany always have the feeling that we've done everything we can to prevent it." Addressing the coach, Watzke said: "Lucien, you continue to have our trust. Ultimately, football is always determined by results. We all hope that you and your team manage to turn the corner."

Hans-Joachim Watzke then summarised the 2018/19 financial figures of the KGaA which were published in August – turnover of €490 million, pre-tax profit of €21.8 million – before adding: "Financial liabilities: none; bank deposit, which they refer to down south as a fixed-term deposit account, almost €56 million; equity capital: €355 million – exactly 15 years after that historic general meeting that you can all remember so well." The club flirted with bankruptcy in 2004 before staging a remarkable recovery that culminated in a combined profit of €188 million being generated between the 2010/11 and 2018/19 financial years. "This club has developed extraordinarily this decade. "We've been consistently represented at international level, have won the league and cup twice each and are currently ranked 12th in Europe ahead of Inter and AC Milan plus Manchester United." The CEO subsequently underlined the harmonious relationship with the fan department and the active fan scene. "It's better than ever before."

The figures of the e.V. were presented by treasurer Reinhold Lunow. In the financial year between 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019, total income amounted to €9.59 million (previous year: €9.05 million) while profit stood at €60,000 (previous year: €1.14 million). Lunow cited an increase in costs related to member support as the reason for the significantly lower profit. Importantly: "We've been debt-free for seven years." In other news, the reopening of the Borusseum is set to be delayed. "The implementation of new content is very complex. The history of BVB appears to be never-ending," he said.

The Council of Seniors was elected almost unanimously, with only one abstention. The previous members Wolfgang Paul, Theo Redder, Willi Burgsmüller, Siggi Held, Dr. Gerhard Langemeyer, Walter Maahs, Friedhelm Meyer and Norbert Dickel are to be joined by new BVB honorary member Fritz Lünschermann plus former player and promotion hero Lothar Huber. Günter Kutowski will continue as auditor, with new arrival Peter Noisten by his side.
Boris Rupert