Meeting in Dortmund
Watzke remains chairman of the supervisory board of the DFL
Hans-Joachim Watzke is also the chairman of the supervisory board of the DFL. photo
© Bernd Thissen/dpa
Hans-Joachim Watzke remains Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the German Football League (DFL).
Hans-Joachim Watzke remains Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the German Football League (DFL).
The 63-year-old managing director of the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, who stood as the only candidate, was confirmed in office at the DFL General Assembly in Dortmund with 35 votes in favor and one abstention. He was elected 1st Deputy Spokesman of the DFL Presidium, who also chairs the Supervisory Board of DFL GmbH according to the Articles of Association. “I’ll try to do my best for the league with my colleagues over the next three years,” said Watzke.
In addition, the 36 professional clubs elected the other representatives of the nine-strong Executive Committee, in which Donata Hopfen, as Chairwoman of the DFL Management Board, and an authorized officer of DFL GmbH have their permanent seat. Axel Hellmann was newly elected to the executive committee by the Bundesliga club. The 51-year-old spokesman for the board of Eintracht Frankfurt replaces Alexander Wehrle from Stuttgart, who was recently elected head of the supervisory board of the German Football Association (DFB). Holger Schwiewagner from SpVgg Greuther Fürth was newly elected by the second division.
The DFL General Assembly took place at a location steeped in history for German football. The Bundesliga was founded 60 years ago in Dortmund’s Gold Hall.
Watzke emphasizes “great unity”
During the DFL General Assembly, Watzke emphasized the “great unity” of the 36 professional clubs. “That was very good today,” said Watzke on the non-public part of the session. It was “very purposeful in terms of the major challenges that we are facing”. “In that respect it was a very good event.” Watzke did not give any details about the content discussed in his welcome opening of the public part.
He expressly emphasized the new DFL Managing Director Donata Hopfen, who replaced Christian Seifert at the beginning of the year. Hopfen proceed with “a great deal of verve, a great deal of enthusiasm and a great deal of goal orientation”. “We are in the process of drilling through the thick of boards, and thick boards have the unpleasant characteristic that it takes a little longer and at some point you can see what the result is,” said Watzke.