DAccording to the DFB treasurer, the construction of the new academy of the German Football Association was significantly more expensive than previously known. “If you talk about what the campus cost in total, then that’s not the 150 million euros, but we will – subject to the final bill – account for around 180 million euros in the books,” said Stephan Grunwald in a ZDF interview. “Those are the costs that are also in the books.”
The building complex, which combines the administration and the sports area with several training grounds, among other things, was officially opened in June 2022. There were indications that the costs of 150 million euros that had been specified and approved by a DFB Bundestag could not be met. However, no specific figures have been given so far. Grunwald put the running costs at “18 to 18.5 million euros a year”.
Loss of income for DFB
The financial situation at the DFB has been tense for months. The association recorded a minus of 33.5 million euros in the financial report, also due to necessary tax provisions. The DFB had already announced at the end of January that savings plans should be drawn up in the individual departments by June 30, 2023. This also includes the areas of the Academy.
“It’s part of transparency and the fact is that costs have arisen and will arise for the future that did not exist before,” said Grunwald. “And that’s why it’s a challenge for the DFB to bear the expenses. But I wouldn’t call it a financial grave. It’s just the general conditions that we find.”
According to ZDF, the DFB should receive more money from the new basic contract with the German Football League, which is about to be concluded. Accordingly, this should bring in around 25 million euros before taxes. “Forgive me that I’m not saying anything about numbers at the moment,” Grunwald said. “We are on a good way. We will also come to an agreement.” In the 2021 financial report, the DFB reported income from the basic contract of 26 million euros, with expenditure of 20 million euros. The current agreement expires on June 30th.
