Dortmund's Ricken: Proud of World Cup exit and financial success!

Dortmund's Ricken: Proud of World Cup exit and financial success!

The Club World Cup in the USA ended for Borussia Dortmund with a quarter-final defeat against Real Madrid, but managing director Lars Ricken is optimistic about the future. In an exciting game that was lost 2-3, BVB was able to represent the city of Dortmund and the Bundesliga worthy, said Ricken. This assessment radiobielefeld.de underlines the fact that Dortmund is in eighth place in the European football rankings and has been the most internationally successful German team in the last two years.

Before Dortmund, FC Bayern Munich also got stuck in the quarter-finals when the Munich team lost 2-0 to Paris Saint-Germain. However, participation in the Club World Cup paid off financially for BVB: around 53 million US dollars went into the Black and Yellows' coffers as prize money up to the quarter-finals, while around three million euros were distributed as bonuses to the players. Ricken believes that this time in the USA has further welded the team together before they head off after a few weeks of vacation to prepare for the coming season.

High costs and smart investments

Despite the financial gain, Ricken warns that actual revenue could be lower. Before the team could face Real Madrid, revenue was estimated at around 45 million euros. The high costs of the trip and stay amount to over ten million euros, including flights, hotels and transport. BVB's base camp was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, while games took place in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Atlanta, Georgia. These expenses could reduce profit margins, even if the Club World Cup does bring financial stability.

To ensure this stability, BVB has invested in its squad, spending around 57 million euros on new additions such as Jobe Bellingham, Yan Couto and Daniel Svensson. The sale of Jamie Gittens to Chelsea FC has a positive effect, bringing up to 65 million euros into the coffers. The departure of Youssoufa Moukoko also paid off financially and ensures a positive transfer balance. Ricken is sure that such smart investments are necessary in order to be able to cope with the club's specific challenges in the future, but at the same time raises the question of how the financing of such transfers can continue to be secured. Ricken emphasizes that it is important to have a good hand when putting together a squad.

The team's return to Germany was as planned after the game against Real Madrid. The players are now enjoying a few weeks of vacation before preparing again for the upcoming season. Particular attention will be paid to the effectiveness of opponents, which Ricken also recognizes, particularly that of Real Madrid in crucial moments.