Borussia Dortmund drops Rheinmetall after fan criticism: deal ends next year

Many Dortmund fans will feel a relief that tops a narrow home win: Borussia Dortmund and the defence company Rheinmetall are parting ways. The club will not extend the contract, so the partnership ends next year.

What happened?

BVB, as the club is known, and Rheinmetall (Germany's biggest arms manufacturer) announced the end of their sponsorship on Friday. The current contract simply runs out and will not be renewed.

The deal was meant to last about three years. The deciding factor in ending it, according to the reports, was the constant criticism from BVB's own supporters.

The club also admits the move has a price. Without the money from Rheinmetall, its "financial room for manoeuvre" shrinks.

Why was it so controversial?

Let's rewind. In May 2024, Dortmund announced Rheinmetall as an official sponsor. The criticism from parts of the fan base came immediately.

In September 2024, supporters showed what they thought of it. They hung banners and voiced their anger inside the stadium against the deal with the arms manufacturer.

Club boss Hans-Joachim Watzke had presented the partnership as a contribution to strengthening democracy. That argument never really convinced the critics, and the protests did not go away.

What's next?

For now, the contract runs until it expires next year, and then the Rheinmetall logo is history at BVB. Who might step in as a replacement has not been announced.

The club has made clear that the loss of income will be felt. How it plans to close that gap is still open.

One thing is clear: in Dortmund, the voice of the stands carried real weight in this decision.