Watzke will step down as Dortmund CEO at the November general meeting, or become club president

Hupu News on October 12th Dortmund confirmed that the current CEO Watzke will continue to hold the position until November 23rd, the date of the club’s general meeting.

The club spokesman confirmed the relevant reports of the German media "Ruhr News" on Sunday and stated that Watzke will officially complete his already announced plans to step down on the same day. By then, he is expected to run as a candidate and serve as chairman of the Borussia Dortmund club.

Watzke announced as early as January 2024 that he would resign as CEO of Dortmund Capital and withdraw from front-line daily operations. It was widely expected that he would officially leave office in the fall of 2024. However, according to the club's charter, Watzke still needs to submit an annual report as CEO at the members' meeting, so his departure time is scheduled after that meeting.

The former club financial director has served as Dortmund CEO since 2005, which has been 20 years. Under his leadership, Dortmund emerged from financial crisis and won consecutive Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, becoming one of the strongest teams in Europe.

Currently, Lars Riken has been in charge of the club's sports affairs since May 2024, and it has not yet been determined who will speak on behalf of the management in the future. Marketing chief Carsten Cramer is seen as the most likely candidate to take over as management spokesman.