Borussia Dortmund are reportedly leaning against extending their controversial sponsorship agreement with German defense and armaments manufacturer Rheinmetall beyond the end of the current season. Sport Bild reports that newly-appointed BVB chairman Carsten Cramer currently favours allowing the partnership to expire when the existing agreement runs out in summer 2027.
The German tabloid, which contacted the company for comment, reports that Rheinmetall wishes to continue the cooperation. The three-year sponsorship agreement has remained one of the most contentious commercial partnerships in German football since it was announced shortly before Dortmund’s appearance in the 2024 Champions League final.
According to Sport Bild, Rheinmetall currently pays Borussia Dortmund €10m annually.
Majority of participating BVB members oppose Rheinmetall deal in club vote
Opposition among sections of Dortmund’s support has accompanied the agreement virtually from the beginning. Sport Bild reports that a club-member vote some two years ago saw 65 percent of the 855 participating members oppose the partnership. That vote followed significant organized supporter protests stretching back to the opening weeks of the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign.
Ahead of Dortmund’s home fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt in August 2024, supporters staged coordinated actions both outside and inside Signal Iduna Park. A mock tank was placed outside the stadium while symbolic red cards featuring Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger were displayed. Inside the ground, nearly 90 organized fan clubs and supporter groups participated in protests against the sponsorship.
Numerous banners criticized Dortmund’s association with the arms manufacturer, while sections of the Südtribüne also temporarily withheld vocal support. The protests followed persistent criticism that supporters had not been adequately involved before the agreement was reached.
Then-BVB chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke publicly defended the sponsorship at the time, arguing that security and defense represented fundamental cornerstones of democracy. Cramer – recently promoted to a new leadership role himself – now appears less inclined to continue the commercial relationship.
Rheinmetall wants Dortmund partnership to continue
Rheinmetall nevertheless appears interested in extending its association with the club and has defended the collaboration. The company points to initiatives undertaken during the partnership, including the establishment of its own BVB fan club and football camps organized for Ukrainian children in the Sport Bild article.
The Düsseldorf-based defense group therefore reportedly sees reason for the relationship to continue beyond the present contract. Dortmund’s current leadership appears less certain. Such a decision would bring an end to a commercially lucrative agreement worth around €30m across its original three-year term.
The existing contract runs until summer 2027.
