DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and Treasurer Stephan Grunwald have confirmed the enormous economic dependence of the association on the success of the national team. “If the national team is unsuccessful, the DFB is also not doing well economically. You can compare that with every Bundesliga club,” said Grunwald at a media event in Frankfurt am Main. On Saturday, the election of Neuendorf and Grunwald in their respective DFB offices.
In the current financial report, the DFB recorded a minus of 33.5 million euros due to necessary tax provisions. Grunwald put the budget for this year at minus 19.5 million euros. Due to the preliminary rounds at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, the DFB lost millions in bonuses. In addition, Grunwald explained, sporting failures would affect contract negotiations with the sponsors.
The association had already announced at the end of January that packages of measures for a holistic consolidation concept are to be drawn up in the individual departments by June 30, 2023 inclusive. “I’m very, very confident that everyone understood what the situation was like. I am optimistic that we will manage to eliminate this structural deficit,” said Neuendorf.
Infantino’s re-election pending
Grunwald said he sees great potential for savings. “It can’t go on like this for the next ten years, because then the association will no longer exist.” The DFB could still take the time this year to make “conscious and correct” decisions. The accommodation of the national players during the international match phases may also come under scrutiny.
Neuendorf, meanwhile, left the DFB’s support for Gianni Infantino open a few days before the FIFA election congress. “We’ll see how we behave,” said Neuendorf before a DFB executive committee meeting this Friday. Infantino (52) is aiming for re-election as FIFA President in Kigali on March 16; there is no opposing candidate.
Neuendorf linked the DFB vote to the condition that FIFA provide information on the current status of the changes announced by Infantino, including in relation to employee protection in Qatar. “Of course, if we don’t get any feedback, it’s difficult to support him,” said Neuendorf. The DFB also asked the world football association about the debate about possible sponsorship of Saudi Arabia at the women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in the summer.
In all likelihood, the DFB decision will not have any impact on the election result. Infantino, seeking his second term, enjoys the backing of the vast majority of FIFA’s 211 associations. The Swiss is only controversial in a few European countries, including Germany. Usually in world football important elections with only one candidate are not voted on individually, but decided by acclamation.
Conversations about earlier kick-off times
Infantino has been in office since the beginning of 2016. In the years that followed, he ended the term of office inherited from his predecessor Joseph Blatter. In the summer of 2019, he was elected to his first term of office in accordance with the statutes, so re-election in 2027 is possible. The FIFA President is always elected in the year after the men’s World Cup and up to now for a maximum of three terms of office.
The DFB is still in “difficult” talks about earlier kick-off times for international matches of the national team before the home European Championship in 2024. “There are many players involved,” said Neuendorf. But he is confident “that we can do it selectively”. He wrote the topic “into the specifications”.
“We’ll see how we behave”: Neuendorf (left) on the re-election of FIFA President Gianni Infantino
:
Image: dpa
The discussion about earlier kick-off times – before 8 p.m. – came up again after the preliminary round at the World Cup in Qatar at the end of 2022. International matches, for example at 6 p.m., could be a measure to build closer ties with the fans again. The new DFB sports director Rudi Völler had recently spoken about this topic several times. The DFB is tied to contracts with the broadcasting stations and also with the European Football Union UEFA.
The next two international matches of the DFB selection of national coach Hansi Flick on March 25 in Mainz against Peru and three days later in Cologne against Belgium will kick off at 8.45 p.m. Since the German national team is not participating in the qualification as a home selection, only test matches are on the DFB schedule until the European Championships in summer 2024.