Claus Vogt, President of VfB Stuttgart. picture alliance / press photo Baumann | Hansjürgen Britsch
Claus Vogt, President of VfB Stuttgart, is threatened with a complete loss of power at the Bundesliga club.
The organized fan scene is calling for his departure as club boss. But in “Kicker” Vogt has now ruled out resigning.
Vogt also commented on the internal power struggle at the traditional club – and on the role of Porsche, which Business Insider reported on several times.
Claus Vogt is under a lot of pressure at VfB Stuttgart. After being voted out as head of the supervisory board of the Bundesliga soccer club, the organized fan scene is calling for his resignation as president of the parent club. For a long time, the curve was considered the official’s power base. But the 54-year-old has ruled out withdrawing.
“I respect every expression of opinion. Of course also and especially those of our fans in the Cannstatter Kurve,” said Vogt to the “Kickerin a long interview. But: “Our general meeting is still the highest organ and committee of our club, VfB Stuttgart 1893 eV, and it also elected us and me.”
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Claus Vogt defends himself against disempowerment at VfB Stuttgart – internal paper reveals explosive details about Porsche’s influence
The background to the quarrels in Stuttgart is a power struggle that recently escalated. Vogt lost the chairmanship of the supervisory board of the stock corporation into which the club spun off its professional department. And this despite the fact that the club members had been assured that the VfB president would always be the head of the control committee.
The new VfB investor Porsche is also said to have pushed for the change at the top of the supervisory board, which is now led by the former CDU state minister Tanja Gönner. We reported exclusively.
The president said that he agreed to a statement to the new donor in which Vogt assured that he would resign from his position on the supervisory board under “great time pressure”. According to Vogt, the sports car manufacturer is said to have claimed the position of chief controller before joining.
“The ultimate request was to document the intention to support the candidacy of a certain future member of the supervisory board from Porsche in the election for chairman of the supervisory board,” said Vogt. However, in an interview with “Kicker” he emphasized several times that this candidacy had not yet taken place.
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Power struggle for Claus Vogt at VfB Stuttgart: Porsche wants to overthrow the “fan president” on the supervisory board
According to research by Business Insider, Porsche CFO Lutz Meschke is said to have flirted with the chairmanship of the supervisory board at VfB Stuttgart. However, after our reporting, a spokesman explained that Porsche was not seeking the chairmanship.
Vogt signed the controversial declaration last summer – and is now self-critical. “You couldn’t do anything right in the situation,” he said. “The pressure was enormous: Either the entry of a desired partner that was presented to us fails, especially because of me, and VfB will continue to get into major economic difficulties. Or I sign a declaration that is non-binding, but can later be used as a means of pressure if the candidacy described arises,” explained Vogt. “Today I know it was a mistake.”
He criticized the current developments in the Bundesliga’s third-placed team. “I’ll put it a little exaggeratedly: If the club and its members aren’t careful, it will degenerate into pure folklore at our VfB. Then in the end he just delivers the tradition and the members and fans the atmosphere in the stadium,” said Vogt.
dpa/fu
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