Borussia Dortmund fans continue protest against club's decision

Borussia Dortmund struck a deal with German defence concern Rheinmetall at the start of the summer, but the agreement didn't make fans optimistic at the time. However, neither is it now.

One of the Bumblebees' fan groups, Südtribüne Dortmund, released a statement condemning the club's decision, emphasising that it was damaging the club's image:

‘We strongly reject the idea that responsible persons in the BVB and all its committees have agreed to use the call of Borussia Dortmund to improve the public image of the arms company and in doing so throw their own values overboard.’

Ahead of the start of the season against Eintracht Frankfurt, we call on every Borussia fan and every fan club to bring their discontent with the Rheinmetall deal to the stadium. Please prepare signs and/or banners with which you can express your criticism at the start of the second half,’ read the statement.

Club bosses, among others Hans-Joachim Watzke, are defending the deal, emphasising that there is now a full-scale war in Europe, namely in Ukraine, so it has to be accepted:

‘We see every day how freedom has to be defended in Europe. We have to cope with this new normalcy,’ Watzke is quoted as saying by Inside World Football.