News
Reports from around the departments
YOUTH FOOTBALL
Head of department Wolfgang Springer once again looked back on a successful year on the pitch: "The final for the German Championship of the U17s was a real nail-biting finale. Starting the season as outsiders, our U17s lifted the trophy and became German U17 champions in 2024." Borussia Dortmund are now out on their own with the record number of eight German championships in this age group, underpinned the club's supremacy in German youth football. Because the U19s are also consistently at the top of the national league, even if they couldn't quite win the title last season. "We have now won the U19 West German championship three times in a row, and have hit the points record for the league phase. 70 points – no one had managed to achieve that before." In the final of the German Championship play-offs, "our team were on even footing with the heavily favoured TSG Hoffenheim for long periods, and clearly superior in the closing stages, but ultimately succumbed to a 3-1 defeat. It was little things that made the difference," said Springer.
With the start of the current season, the DFB junior leagues were introduced, which replace the U17s and U19s Bundesligas. However, according to Springer, the most important goal is to provide training and support: "Titles should only be a by-product of work with youngsters at Borussia Dortmund. It will always remain our primary goal to mould talented youngsters into players who will one day be able to wear the first team kit." Between 2006 and 2009, no less than twelve young German BVB players represented their country at international youth level – the class of 2006 became both World Cup winners and European Champions last year, and there were four Dortmund boys among them.
SPORTS INTEGRATION
German runners-up in both women's and men's Torball, fourth place in both the blind football Bundesliga and in the European Blind Football League. These facts were presented by Hasan Caglikalp. Other highlights included the 8-0 victory in blind football against Schalke 04 and second place at an international Torball tournament in Mol, Belgium. The Black & Yellows were also represented at the tournament in Amriswil, Switzerland, where they took fifth place. "We are currently top of the men's league," said Caglikalp: "Anyone who wants to be crowned champions will have to beat us first!"
"Our coaches in blind football come from Erfurt and take the strain of working together with us on this project. Some new faces have put their stamp on our game," said Caglikalp about coaches Enrico and Petro Göbel, promising: "We'll get the points next year. We have not failed in terms of performances – only when it comes to results. We have a clear plan and will soon be lifting titles in blind football. We are proud to be a part of the Borussia family." The approximately 20 people from the sports integration department (players, coaches, helpers), who were present at the meeting despite some of the very long journeys, also received a rapturous round of applause.
WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
After "countless victories with many goals and titles won, this season we are finding out that success is not a matter of course," reported Svenja Schlenker. After the first half of the season, the first team are indeed top of the table, but with only one point advantage over the second-placed side. "There will be 13 more league games to follow, which will demand everything from us." Because the next promotion is the goal: "We are halfway to the finish line: the Women's Football Bundesliga. We are also proud of the achievements of the players and coaching staff of the second team and our U17s," said Schlenker: "Our young women have secured the Kreispokal and will therefore play in the Westfalenpokal, which starts in the spring of 2025. With top place in the table, we are also looking very good in the Women's U17 Bezirksliga. The second team also lead the league table heading into the winter break, and have played with great confidence during a promising season so far."
There will also be developments in terms of infrastructure. Svenja Schlenker announced the acquisition of a site in Brackel, "which will become our own training ground for women's football in the next few years"
HANDBALL
Head of department Rupert Thiele first looked at the anniversary year: "100 years of BVB handball! A century of passion, sporting success and unforgettable moments. 100 years ago, the foundations were laid for a department that goes far beyond sport. It stands for community, team spirit and the overwhelming power of sport to bring people together." And it stands for success. "Our first team have started the new season brilliantly. Since a draw against Buxtehude, the Black & Yellows have recorded nothing but victories, and the victory against HB Ludwigsburg, formerly known as Bietigheim, who had previously been widely regarded as nigh-on invincible. They were a team who had not lost since March 2021, until October 30th, when we comfortably beat them 33-28. Now we are top the Bundesliga. But that is not all. On 6 November, we qualified for the Final4 in Stuttgart. And because we are not satisfied with simply fighting for national titles, we have also reached the group stage of the European League with victories in the two-legged match against DHK Banik Most."
This, in turn, brings the problem of playing in the hall into focus once again. "Especially in today's world with significant successes, it is always painful to see how unsuitable the Wellinghofen hall was and is for Bundesliga matches," said Thiele. It is not authorised for use for European matches. The planned hall at Dortmunder U will be available for the 2029/2030 season at the earliest. "I would like to emphasise that the City of Dortmund actively supports this and is very much on our side in finding a possible solution. We are all pulling in the same direction here."
TABLE TENNIS
"My report this year is about the historical rise of our first men's team to the top division, although I have to mention that our department has recorded a total of four promotions from six opportunities," said Dr. Ursula Reitemeyer, emphasising: "The table tennis department has not only worked its way forward at the top, but is also striving for a sustainable future in the amateur and youth fields." She praised the cooperation between the e.V. and KGaA, especially when it came to overcoming the hurdles in terms of personnel and infrastructure on the way to the first Bundesliga match in BVB's table tennis history: "Borussia Dortmund is more than football. The association and the KGaA form an unbreakable unit."
The team have now acclimatised to their new surroundings. "As a result of two bitter and razor-thin defeats, our current standings do not entirely reflect our performances," said Reitemeyer. "Of course, points have to come, also in order to retain our newly won fans in the crowd, but we also have to give our boys time to become a team. We are on the right track, as our hard-fought 3-2 away win in Bergneustadt showed last weekend. Other encouraging examples: Our player Anders Lind beat the number one in the world rankings in China at the beginning of October, Nuytinck and Berglund won in Bergneustadt against European Cup runner-up Duda, and Li has a positive record in the top group of the table tennis Bundesliga." The department's promise: "We will continue to see world-class table tennis in Dortmund and establish Dortmund as an outstanding table tennis location."
FAN RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
"At a time when social cohesion is being put to the test, when a war has been raging in Europe for over 1,000 days, it is not just up to the major political arena to keep their finger on the pulse. We are all in demand to set the tone and to engage in areas where the state and society leave gaps," stressed Jakob Scholz, adding: "With our strong work against racism and against the rise of anti-Semitism in our country, BVB is fulfilling its social responsibility. We cannot do too much in this area!"
With regard to the request of the initiative "Ballspielvereint!" (ball games unite!) to protect the BVB and its structures from enemies of democracy, Scholz said: "A very clear majority of the department members support the intention and aim of the proposal." He also devoted himself extensively to the topic of "Rheinmetall" (Rhine metal) and stated, among other things: "Even though we have not been able to reach a consensus with the management in many discussions, I would like to emphasise that we recognise the fundamental willingness of those responsible to discuss the issues and will also remain in the discussion. We want to be the voice of our members, and we see ourselves as mediators and bridge builders."
Scholz paid tribute to the achievements of Sarah Hartwich, "a pillar of the department", who has handed over the management of the "Uns Verbindet Borussia" (Borussia unites us) working group to Claudia Balke. "In recent years, Sarah has had a significant influence on the fan relations department and its social impact with her enthusiasm and participation in various social projects. She is leaving big shoes to fill." Scholz also recalled the deceased Elisabeth Krukowka ("part of the soul of our department") and Olaf Suplicki ("one of the founding fathers of the department"), who "made special contributions to our department". (br)