Dortmund confirm abuse allegations against former employee

Borussia Dortmund have confirmed a news report that a former club employee was suspected of sexual abuse towards a player more than 20 years ago but that they could not substantiate the allegations.

Sunday paper Bild am Sonntag reported the case, saying it dated back to the 1990s, and that a lawyer of the victim approached the club in 2010.

Dortmund said: "It is true that such an allegation was initially made against Borussia Dortmund in 2010. The subject of the vague allegation was advances allegedly made by a former employee of the club in the 1990s towards a young player who was of legal age at the time.

"As the former employee denied the allegations in their entirety and the former player did not press charges, the long-standing allegations could ultimately not be substantiated."

Dortmund said they took the allegations very seriously and tried to bring light into the matter. The club said it was then informed in 2023 about further allegations against the same employee, via its then installed protection scheme regarding sexualised violence.

"Although this further alleged incident also occurred many decades ago and was a matter for the former employee's private life, the club immediately terminated the minor employment relationship that still existed with the employee and ensured that he left the club," Dortmund said.

Dortmund said the accused continues to deny the allegations to this day and that at no time they paid any kind of compensation.