The mood was positive at Fortuna Düsseldorf’s general meeting (November 17) – despite the tragic outcome of the relegation play-offs against VfL Bochum.

Fortuna Düsseldorf is in third place in the 2nd Bundesliga, as it was at the end of last season. As is well known, this means a detour via the relegation play-offs, which is rarely successful for teams from the second division, and which Fortuna was also unable to overcome. VfL Bochum spectacularly prevented Düsseldorf from being promoted.

But that’s no reason for the club from the state capital and its officials to be down in the dumps. “In the past, there would have been a big risk that everything would have fallen apart, that people would have turned on each other, or that someone would have been singled out as the culprit,” said supervisory board chairman Björn Borgerding at the general meeting about the missed promotion. He explained that this was not the case now thanks to a “new fundamental stability.”

Despite the unfortunate outcome of the relegation, CEO Alexander Jobst also announced a remarkable record: “We now have 35,312 members. That is the highest increase and the highest number of members in the club’s history. That gives us additional momentum.”
 

He added: “We have partnerships with terms that no other club in the 2nd Bundesliga has: chest, sleeve, and equipment contracts are all not only at record levels, but also with record terms. That is an incredibly strong foundation.”

His colleagues joined in the praise. Arnd Hovemann, Chief Financial Officer, Human Resources, and Legal Affairs, reported that the club also posted record figures financially: “The 35 percent increase in revenue compared to the previous year proves that we are on the right track. This enabled us to generate revenue of €70.3 million, which is an absolute record for a second division season in Fortuna’s history.”

In view of these promising figures, Borgerding has big ambitions: “If we continue on this path together and remain calm, we will soon get this club where it belongs – namely, as a member-run club in the Bundesliga!”