Dortmund on the verge of...

[Gerry_BMG]

financial collapse. :ninja
Although it wont happen because main shareholder Homm will help out if the situation needs it. We might see a name change of Borussia Dortmund to another one. Finally Dortmund have to acknowledge that there is just one true and only Borussia in Germany. Borussia Mönchengladbach... LOL :drinkbeer

[Mertesacker]

I still think that they won't let Dortmund die.
If this was any other club like Bochum or Hannover they already be in the Oberliga but it's Dortmund so everything will work out somehow.

Did you read about that rumour that Rosicky wasn't all that injured as Dortmund claimed, they just wanted to let the "Berufsgenossenschaft" to take his salary?

[TheNameOfTheG..]

Would be good for BL that Dortmund is strong as they were before 8, 9 years.

[Mertesacker]

http://www.neuepresse.de/db_media/sy128537241.jpg

[Gerry_BMG]

LMAO. Die Luft ist raus. :drinkbeer

[Gerry_BMG]

Did you read about that rumour that Rosicky wasn't all that injured as Dortmund claimed, they just wanted to let the "Berufsgenossenschaft" to take his salary?
Does they pay the salary for injured players? Dont think so.
Or was it a joke? lol

[Distant Voices]

Big wake up call to football as a whole.Football is eating itself.
They were only champions three yesars ago-and looked all set to dominate for years to come.

Last night 4,000 watched Parma B agaisnt Stuttgart in the farce Uefa Cup.
Too much football-its product lifecycle is passed maturity

[ACBerb]

Last night 4,000 watched Parma against Stuttgart in the farce Uefa Cup.

Question... If these UEFA Cup draws are only bringing in 4,000 fans, why does Aachen have to play in Köln's Stadium?

[Gerry_BMG]

how about 50.000 people at Cologne watching Aachen vs. Aalkmar?
@distant: its because Parma sucks in the league and played his b-team. any reason to call that football passed maturity? lol... dont think so

[orswich]

how about 50.000 people at Cologne watching Aachen vs. Aalkmar?
@distant: its because Parma sucks in the league and played his b-team. any reason to call that football passed maturity? lol... dont think so


well mainly Stuttgart also sided a pretty weak side themselves(no Kuranyi, Lahm, Hinkel).... both teams without thier stars makes for low attendance

[ACBerb]

how about 50.000 people at Cologne watching Aachen vs. Aalkmar

Good call, So 0-0 draw for Aachen today!

[Distant Voices]

Kuranyi (groin), Hinke (flu) and Lahm (broken foot) could not play.

[Cyan]

I do not understand how a team that has the largest fan attendance in Europe is almost Bankrupt?

[bastian]

Borussia Dortmund face extinction


FRANKFURT, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Borussia Dortmund are in a 'life-threatening' financial situation.
The former European champions said they had entered talks with creditors in an attempt to resolve their financial crisis and needed a debt moratorium until at least the 2006/07 tax year.


'Borussia Dortmund has entered a life-threatening profitability and financial situation,' the 95-year-old club said in a statement.

'The approval of all creditors is necessary for the complete execution of the restructuring concept...the overwhelming majority have confirmed their approval.'

The club said talks were ongoing with three creditors.

Borussia, which has announced an overhaul with cuts for players and staff, said without a restructuring it expected its record debt to increase to 134.7 million euros ($175.4 million) by mid-2006.

The club posted an operating loss of 27.2 million euros in the first half of the 2004/05 fiscal year.

Bundesliga champions in 2002 and European Cup winners in 1997, Dortmund were flirting with relegation for much of the first half of the current season but a good run of late has seen them climb well clear of the danger zone.

They have won three and drawn one of their four games in 2005 to move up from 14th to 11th.

That leaves them a comfortable 12 points away from the relegation places and still with an outside chance of making the UEFA Cup next season.

Dortmund said it had failed to find an investor for its Westphalia stadium that was sold in a complicated sale-and-leaseback deal.

Earlier, German business daily Handelsblatt said British bond broker Stephen Schechter had ended talks with Borussia on a possible bond sale to finance the stadium deal, citing a 'breach of confidence'.

[Distant Voices]

Lots of reasons Cyan.They took a gamble in 2001 and it long term failed despite winning the league in 2002.They signed expensive players and paid them inflated wages in the anticipation of Champions League football every season.Then German clubs qualifying for the CL was reduced to three instead of four.
Getting knocked out by Bruges on penalties in the Champions League qualifier and not qualifying for the CL this season would cost them around 40-50 million euro.

Their players were paid far too much and have underperformed.The singing of Amaruso was a long term disaster.The other Brazilians have also failed to fulfill their potential-Rosicky is a major disappointment.

They will not close down but it is a waking call to all major clubs.As Uli Hoeness said all the top European clubs live beyond their means.

[Mertesacker]

Does they pay the salary for injured players? Dont think so.

The way I read it they indeed do!

[Cyan]

Thanks for the info distant Voices.
Hopefully for the sake of German football they find a solution. Do you guys remember Fiorentina?? RIP.

[palmerq]

Fiorentina are back though and spendin £13000000 on young boys, 'ow queer!

[Gerry_BMG]

Fiorentina are back though and spendin £13000000 on young boys, 'ow queer! thats even more than Michael Jackson pais for "young guns" :o

[Javier Zanetti]

Doesn't really matter , as long as they have the fans they'll be a top team.

[Der Bomber]

Bayern are giving them a lesson in football today. 5-0 to Bayern Roy(3) Brazzo and Pizza.

Much more of this and their fans will be looking for a new club. And the search is over, come join the Bayern fans, we are better anyway;)

[ACBerb]

thats even more than Michael Jackson pais for "young guns" :o

LOL Hey Gerry did you hear Michael got checked into the Hospital the other day?.....But don't worry it wasn't a childrens Hospital! :laugh

[Cyan]

Yes Fiorentina are back. But they had to go Seria C and fight their way back. Can you imagine Dortmund doing something like that.

[Gerry_BMG]

LOL Hey Gerry did you hear Michael got checked into the Hospital the other day?.....But don't worry it wasn't a childrens Hospital! :laugh
puhh... good to know. will make me sleep well.

[ACBerb]

Dortmund agree deal with creditors

FRANKFURT, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Struggling Borussia Dortmund (BVB) said on Friday it had agreed with its creditors on a rescue plan, a day after the club sent shock waves through soccer-mad Germany by saying it could go bankrupt.
'The agreement requires that the fund investors approve the proposed restructuring for the Westfalen stadium,' the company said in a statement, calling the agreement a 'further important step towards realizing the rescue plan.'

Germany's only listed soccer club, an almost-100-year-old household name, is threatened with insolvency should it fail to get help from banks amid record losses and debts.

In Dortmund, Borussia officials met for the first time with almost all the banks involved to discuss a rescue plan.

'I think this will help to get the two creditors involved who haven't said yes yet,' said Jochen Roelfs, an auditor appointed by the club to help with the overhaul, adding that talks were expected to continue until next week.

The club received a debt moratorium until 2006/07 and short-term loans to help pay salaries for players.

However, it still needs to buy back its Westfalen stadium, for which it has failed to pay rent since the start of the year.

Handelsblatt business paper said Borussia needed £7million until the end of the 2004/05 season. Meanwhile, Schalke 04, one of Borussia's fiercest local rivals on the pitch, offered to help.

'Dortmund's end would be a catastrophe for the whole Bundesliga. We would help any time,' Chief Executive Rudi Assauer told Bild.

Bayern Munich, the country's most successful soccer club, has also offered to help, an offer which Borussia management so far has refused.

Borussia shares closed up 3.2 per cent at 150p after plunging 28 per cent on Thursday. The stock is worth only a fraction of its debut price in 2000.

Independent Research analysts cut their investment view to 'sell' from 'buy' and lowered their price target for the stock to 120p from 240p, saying the club had so far achieved 'almost nothing' in its restructuring plans.

[palmerq]

Yes Fiorentina are back. But they had to go Seria C and fight their way back. Can you imagine Dortmund doing something like that.
Fiorentina were allowed to skip a division, because it was them.
Anyway on the subject of Jacko I heard he'd be happy to do his full sentence if it was in a young offenders institute. :nono