Borussia Dortmund ends Rheinmetall sponsorship deal after fan and member criticism

The announcement

Borussia Dortmund and the Düsseldorf arms maker Rheinmetall will not renew their sponsorship, which runs out in summer 2027. The two sides announced the decision on Friday, 13 November, describing it as agreed by both. The club admitted that persistent criticism from its supporters had weighed heavily, and said the concerns of members and parts of the fan base were taken into account in talks with Rheinmetall. Bild had reported earlier that morning that the end would be announced soon, and no later than the members' meeting on 22 November. According to that report, the club's leadership had debated the partnership for months, and the members' clear position ultimately outweighed the economic benefits.

BVB managing director Carsten Cramer said the club was aware of the criticism and that it had been considered in the talks with Rheinmetall.

“We know the criticism from our members and from parts of the fans.”

A deal that drew opposition from the start

The three-year deal was signed in May 2024 and met resistance in the fan scene almost from the start. At the members' meeting in November 2024, 855 of the 1205 members present voted against extending it, but that vote was not binding on the management. The club has about 245,000 members in total. Watzke, then managing director, had largely shaped the deal and defended it as a contribution to the debate about national defence and democracy. Bild estimated that the club would forgo up to ten million euros a year, while Rheinmetall has annual sales of 9.9 billion euros.

Voted against extension855

Members present1,205

Voted against extension

855

Members present

1205

Data from the article text

Watzke's shift in tone

Hans-Joachim Watzke, 67, who is now club president, defended the partnership for years but has taken a more self-critical line. On the podcast Ausgerechnet he said he had underestimated how many members opposed the deal, and his words were:

“I underestimated how many Borussen, decent people, tell me: We are not against Rheinmetall. We just don't want Borussia Dortmund advertising for someone who makes weapons.”

He said he no longer had a decision-making role but wanted to keep away from the club anything that causes division. He acknowledged holding a personal view of Rheinmetall, yet said his office required him to keep the club from imploding. The debate, he said, had already cost the club some of its strength.

What comes next

The club is due to confirm the end of the deal before the members' meeting on 22 November, according to Bild, and the partnership will run until its scheduled end in summer 2027. Once it expires, the club will lose sponsorship income that Bild estimated at up to ten million euros a year. The November 2024 vote carried no binding force, so the decision rested with the management. The management has now followed the membership's position, according to the same report. Fans and members had argued for two years that an arms maker does not fit the club's values.