Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has warned clubs interested in Jadon Sancho that they will have to pay full price to sign the winger this summer.
“Even before the coronavirus outbreak, we said that we would prefer
that Jadon stays with us. At the end of the day, however, you always
have to respect what the player wants,” Watzke told Bild am Sonntag.
“I’ll
state clearly, that no rich club should think that during this
existential crisis they can steal players from us. We don’t have to sell
anyone for less than they’re worth.”
European football has
ground to a halt due to efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus and
there are concerns over the financial consequences as the crisis
continues.
Juventus and European Club Association president Andrea Agnelli warned this week that the game faces its biggest ever threat.
Clubs
and their employees are mired in uncertainty, but Watzke says Dortmund
will do all they can to support their members in such difficult times.
“I
am responsible for more than 150,000 members, for our shareholders, but
above all for 850 BVB employees and their families,” he added.
“We are one of the largest employers in the city. It’s about ordinary workers, not about football millionaires.
“Our travel agency no longer sells trips, our events and catering company no longer organises events and certainly not catering.
“Nevertheless,
we said: As a sign of BVB unity, there will initially be no short-term
work. For me, that means responsibility and solidarity.
“We
can not disregard the fact that the Bundesliga clubs are and will remain
competitors. And of course, we are solidary if someone has got into an
imbalance through no fault of their own. That cannot be excluded.”
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