Watzke warns of BVB intriges as he recalls a bruising election
President 67‑year‑old Hans‑Jürgen Watzke sat down with Sky moderator Riccardo Basile in the interview format “Meine Geschichte” to spill the Hintergründe of last year’s election, a tight contest where he secured only 59 percent of the Stimmen and warned, “Macht euren Scheiß allein!”.
Election fallout and personal toll
Watzke described the aftermath as “the hardest year of my 20 years”, adding that “so wie es dann gelaufen ist, dass die eine oder andere Intrige auch gegen mich gelaufen ist, war es ein schweres Jahr für mich, also das schwerste von den 20”. He admitted that the disappointing result made him briefly consider a voluntary resignation from his role in Dortmund.
Critics have accused the 67‑year‑old of ruling the club like a sole ruler, claiming he offers little space for new faces on the Dortmunder board. They also suggested that certain people wanted to prevent him from becoming Präsident.
Reflecting on the pressure, Watzke recalled an inner voice shouting, “Macht doch euren Scheiß allein!”. He later said, “Bestimmte Leute wollten einfach verhindern, dass ich Präsident wurde. (…) Das hat mich schon betroffen.” The phrase captures his frustration with the BVB‑Intrigen surrounding the Wahl.
At the last moment, on his way to the podium, he decided to stay, explaining, “Der Grad der Empörung ist dann jedem Meter dem Grad der Verantwortung gewichen”. This marked his final commitment to the post despite the earlier thought of stepping down.
Beyond Borussia Dortmund, Watzke holds several high‑profile positions: he is chairman of the DFL supervisory board, vice‑president of the DFB and serves as UEFA vice‑president, representing German football on the international stage.
Future outlook and broader duties
Watzke stressed he has never been a dictator and will continue to balance his responsibilities at BVB with his duties in the DFL, DFB and UEFA. He concluded the interview by reaffirming his dedication to the club and German football at large.