Overview

• Reinhold Lunow abandoned a prior agreement to step aside and officially declared his candidacy for the November 2025 presidential election
• He pointed to the three-year, €20 million deal with arms maker Rheinmetall as a key reason for his renewed bid, aiming to balance sporting success, economic stability and club identity
• Lunow added former ultra and fan representative Jakob Scholz to his campaign team to strengthen member and supporter engagement
• Potential challenger Hans-Joachim Watzke has not yet committed to running and says he will decide in the coming weeks whether to enter the race
• Members will cast votes in a hybrid assembly—combining online and in-person participation—for the first time in the club’s history to determine its next president