DORTMUND (dpa-AFX) - Borussia Dortmund's fan and demands department is critical of BVB's sponsorship deal with arms manufacturer Rheinmetall. Even before the cooperation was made public, fan representatives had already expressed "the explosive nature of the partnership in general, concerns about the partnership and its communication as well as doubts about its compatibility with Borussia Dortmund's values" in an open exchange with the management of the club, according to a statement.

The department was informed during a monthly committee meeting in May that a potential partnership with Rheinmetall was being discussed at that time. The information was treated confidentially. "We value the established dialog structures that allow the club and fans to regularly discuss even controversial topics in a trusting manner. It is not always possible to reach a consensus in these dialogs - as was the case in this instance," said the fan department.

On Wednesday, BVB and Rheinmetall made the cooperation over the next three years public. A spokesperson for the Düsseldorf-based company did not want to comment on the financial volume; according to the Handelsblatt, it is a single-digit million euro amount per year./the/DP/jha