Hans-Joachim Watzke on Borussia Dortmund’s finances, potential player sales and his own future

Hans-Joachim Watzke has said that Borussia Dortmund aren’t under any financial pressure to sell players this summer, but that could change if games are played behind closed doors for the entirety of next season. In an interview with Handelsblatt, the Borussia Dortmund CEO spoke about potential player sales, the club’s finances and his own future.

"“In the midst of a pandemic, I cannot rule anything out,” Watzke said. “However, it is not necessarily our goal. Above all, we need to strike a financial balance: we need to have a strong team on the field and at the same time be economically stable.”“If we play the entire next season without spectators, we’ll certainly have to think about selling a player. Asking banks for credit lines at the drop of a hat just to avoid selling a player will not be the approach we take.”"

Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho have both been linked with a summer move away from Borussia Dortmund, with some media outlets claiming that the club will be forced to sell them in the summer due to financial reasons. While Sancho’s future beyond the end of the season remains uncertain, the BVB bosses have no plans to sell Haaland this summer.

Hans-Joachim Watzke not planning on leaving Borussia Dortmund during COVID-19 crisis

Hans-Joachim Watzke also spoke about his own future, and hinted that he could extend his stay beyond 2022 to help guide the club through the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 61 year old has been the Borussia Dortmund CEO since 2005, and his contract is currently due to expire in December 2022. But Watzke knows his responsibility towards the club, and will not be leaving at least until the end of the current financial crisis.

"“I know my responsibility to this club very well. It is completely out of the question for me to leave in the middle of the biggest crisis.”“It’s no longer as deep in my thoughts as it was before the pandemic at least,” Watzke said when asked if he could retire in 2022."

Watzke also confirmed that Borussia Dortmund currently have a debt of just under 27 million euros, and said that it shows the club’s great economic strength and stability. He added that the Black and Yellows are benefiting from not having a single cent of debt before the start of the pandemic.

"“As long as the situation persists, we will not be in the black. Our debt currently stands at 26.7 million euros. This shows that BVB has great economic strength and is very stable. We have operated very conservatively over the past decade. Therefore, we are benefitting from the fact that we did not have a single cent of financial liabilities when the pandemic started.”"

Watzke also added that he will always be an advocate of the 50+1 rule, which has been the subject of a lot of debate in recent years. “It’s always worth fighting for the 50+1 rule. I will remain a passionate advocate of this rule all my life,” Watzke said.