1979 – The Turning Point

The eighth decade in the club's history was marked by sporting and consequently, economic difficulties. There were occasional footballing highs, but the turning point for the better came on June 24, 1989...

Ten years earlier, in March 1979, the young lawyer Dr. Reinhard Rauball was hired and appointed to stabilize BVB, which was oscillating due to sustained lack of success and now dwindling attendance. He succeeded in stabilizing the club for four seasons with alternating sixth and seventh places. The foundation for this was laid by star coach Udo Lattek, who, however, left the club for personal reasons in May 1981. Over the next five years, BVB employed ten different coaches and from the 1983/84 season, they were consistently involved in the relegation battle. The average attendance dropped to about 20,000.

For professional reasons, Dr. Rauball resigned from his position in September 1982, but only 25 months later, the district court appointed him to an emergency board because BVB, with debts equivalent to over four million euros, was facing insolvency. The sporting bankruptcy came in the 1985/86 season with a 16th place finish. In the relegation playoffs against the third-placed team in the second division, Fortuna Köln, after losing the first leg 0-2, BVB was practically on the brink of relegation at halftime of the second leg (0-1). In practically the last second, Jürgen Wegmann scored the goal for 3-1, paving the way for a deciding match (the "away goals rule" did not apply), which Borussia won 8-0 at the Rheinstadion in Düsseldorf.

That was the turning point. Gerd Niebaum took over the presidency from Reinhard Rauball. The following year, Borussia stormed into the UEFA Cup and celebrated the end of the decade with a 4-1 victory at the Berlin Olympic Stadium against Werder Bremen, clinching their first title since 1966: The German Cup winners of 1989 hailed from the Borsigplatz.

Andre Egli, who was sent off during the BVB game in Uerdingen on August 28, 1984, has been acquitted by the DFB court. A video tape from the municipal press office, which BVB manager Tippenhauer was able to present, caused a real sensation in the verdict. Until now, the DFB had not allowed "private" documents to be considered in its judgments. Egli stated, "My claim of not committing a foul has been perfectly confirmed by the city's video." The city had deployed its video team as part of joint anniversary activities to produce a BVB documentary for the club's 75th anniversary celebration, including in Uerdingen. The BVB was now able to rely on this material for evidence.

The recently officially inaugurated Dortmund Peace Square experienced its first major sporting highlight today: More than 250,000 enthusiastic BVB fans welcomed "their" freshly crowned German Cup winners of 1989 on the parade route and at Peace Square. The celebration was jointly organized by the city's press office and BVB. Borussia had spectacularly defeated the favored SV Werder Bremen in Berlin yesterday with a score of 4:1. The "hero of Berlin," Norbert Dickel, scored twice despite a serious injury. Mill and Lusch completed the BVB goal fest. Following the successful collaboration during the "Fan Meetings" introduced in 1987 before international BVB matches and the well-received "Fan Project," this championship celebration once again demonstrates the strong partnership between BVB and the city.