KFC Uerdingen has found a new chairman of the board. The regional league club announced the news on Wednesday.
After turbulent and at times chaotic times, KFC Uerdingen wants to return to calm waters. Now it is also clear who is to lead the Krefeld club there as CEO: Thomas Platzer. The 54-year-old has been appointed by the board of directors for the next three years.
“In Thomas Platzer, we have gained a chairman for our club who brings both sporting spirit and entrepreneurial experience,” explains Nils Gehlings, Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Platzer comes from Erding, near Munich. The 54-year-old used to be a competitive athlete himself and was active as a skeleton racer. He won the German Championships in 1990 and 1991 and took part in the World Championships three times. In 2002, he was banned for doping after a positive test. According to KFC, he worked as a coach after his active career.
Platzer also runs a soccer school in his home town and is the managing director of a company in Kaufbeuren with eight branches – one of which is in Cologne. It is therefore no problem to keep appointments in Krefeld and attend the regional league matches, he explained in a club statement, adding: “In today’s digital world, it is no problem to run a company from a different location. ”
On his role as chairman, Platzer says: “With its name, its loyal fans and the venerable Grotenburg, KFC Uerdingen is simply still a traditional club known throughout Germany. When you step onto the pitch, you can literally feel the atmosphere here when there are over 8,000 spectators in the large stands, as there were against Essen.
He continued: “I want to lead the club back into calmer waters. The people in charge have done a good job here in recent weeks and created good conditions both on and off the pitch, which now need to be further developed.”
According to Platzer, it is now being examined who will be appointed to the board alongside him. A managing director is to be appointed “who will bear operational and commercial responsibility”, he explains. “Investments will be made in all areas in order to set up the structures in a sustainable, solid and professional manner.”
Most recently, KFC lacked a CEO. Andreas Scholten (deputy chairman), Sebastian Thißen and Adalet Güner had been tasked with carrying out the board activities on an interim basis before the administrative board. According to the club, this will remain the case until KFC has completed the board around Platzer.