After a total of 23 years in office, 75-year-old Dr. Reinhard Rauball, president of BV. Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund, will not stand for re-election as BVB at the club's upcoming general meeting in November 2022. He informed the club's electoral committee chairperson, Dr. Winfried Materna, of this today (Tuesday).

Dr Reinhard Rauball will recommend his current deputy, Dr Reinhold Lunow, as his successor to the election committee.

Rauball was elected to the role of BVB president for the third time in 2004. During his first term of office from 1979 to 1982, the then 32-year-old lawyer went down in history as the youngest president of a Bundesliga football club; his second term of office between 1984 and 1986 was marked by an economic crisis at BVB, which was successfully overcome not least thanks to strategic decisions made by Rauball. Finally, in 2004, at a time when BVB faced a graver existential threat than ever before, he stood for re-election and has been at the helm of the club ever since.

"I have been proud to be president of this great club every minute of my time in office. For 23 years, I poured my heart and soul into this job. Borussia Dortmund, with all the different departments and aspects of our club, has always been a defining part of my life. It still is, and it always will be. It fills me with great joy that I have had the honour of serving as the president of Borussia in three separate instances. We have had such a profound impact on society, and I have been able to help lead the club out of difficult situations," said Dr Reinhard Rauball, adding: "With more than 160,000 members, Borussia Dortmund is now one of the largest clubs in Germany. Around 50-million people worldwide are BVB fans or sympathisers. And even though I will be working more intensively on my career as a tennis player and footballer from November onwards, I can assure you all today that I will do everything in my power for the good of our club until the last day of my term of office and, of course, in the future as well."

Hans-Joachim Watzke, CEO of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA, emphasised: "We have the utmost respect for Reinhard Rauball's decision. Our president has rendered outstanding services to BVB. Everyone at the club owes him a huge amount of gratitude for all he has done here. His willingness to put himself forward again for the office of president in 2004, when our club was facing its biggest ever crisis, laid the foundation for everything that has taken us to where we are today. On a personal level, Reinhard Rauball and I share an extraordinary, almost unique relationship of trust.''

During Rauball's third term as president, Borussia Dortmund have claimed two Bundesliga titles, won the DFB-Pokal three times and reached the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2013.