After a bumpy start, with lawsuits not only delaying the start of construction but making a failure of the project not entirely unlikely, the construction of the new DFB and its academy entered a crucial phase on Thursday, with the foundation stone for the building symbolically laid at a ceremony that was also attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who came to Frankfurt as a guest of honour.
In front of around 600 guests from the worlds of sport, politics and business, the Chancellor, together with the 1. DFB Vice Presidents Reinhard Rauball and Rainer Koch, DFB Secretary General Friedrich Curtius, DFB Treasurer Stephan Osnabrügge, DFB Director Oliver Bierhoff, national coach Joachim Löw, national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, Frankfurt's Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann as well as Peter Matteo (member of the management board of general contractor Groß und Partner) and architect Gerhard Wittfeld performed the filling of the foundation stone capsule and the sealing of the foundation stone. In the process, the Chancellor placed an anniversary edition of the Basic Law in the foundation stone capsule. "The Basic Law is the foundation for our living together in a free, democratic and constitutional Germany," Merkel said. "It stands for the values that unite us - values that also give rise to the integrative power of football. There is nothing better on which the German Football Association and its academy can build."
Following the receipt of planning permission, the handover of the site by the City of Frankfurt and the ground-breaking ceremony on 3 May, the laying of the foundation stone represents the next milestone in the new building. In the new DFB and its academy, administration and sport will grow together under one roof for the first time. The building has a length of 307 metres and a maximum height of 18.50 metres. In addition to the administration and academy, the complex includes a football hall and a multi-purpose hall. In addition, 3.5 natural grass pitches and further training areas will be built on the site in Frankfurt Niederrad. An investment volume of a maximum of 150 million euros is planned for the new building, with completion scheduled for 2021.
Koch, 1st DFB Vice President Amateurs, says: "Alongside the hosting of EURO 2024 in Germany, the construction of this centre of excellence for German football is the central project for the future of our association. Both the top and the grassroots will benefit from this in equal measure. In the future, we will be able to bundle our competencies even more effectively and thus offer comprehensive services to the entire football family, especially also to the regional and state associations."
Rauball, 1st DFB Vice President, said during the ceremony, "Today a piece of the future takes shape: The laying of the foundation stone for the DFB Academy is the start of a new teaching and learning in German football. We are not just building a house, but establishing a new approach of cooperation, transparency and networking of knowledge, so that all players in German football will benefit."
DFB general secretary Curtius added: "We are taking important steps for the future of the DFB these days. There is a spirit of optimism around the new building, and there is great anticipation for our new home. I can sense this among the employees in Otto-Fleck-Schneise and at our location on Goldsteinstrasse. This identification with the association and its development shows how important and right the construction of the new building is. It is all the more wonderful to be able to celebrate the symbolic laying of the foundation stone. The fact that we were able to welcome German Chancellor Angela Merkel at this ceremony means a lot to the DFB and to me personally."
Oliver Bierhoff, Director National Teams and Academy, was also happy about the laying of the foundation stone: "With the new DFB and its Academy, we are creating a sporting home for everyone. In the new building, we are bringing together administration and sport with our coaches, players, referees and teams under one roof. This is the next important step for us on our way back to the top of the world. We want to be an even stronger service provider and driving force for German football in our new home. The symbolic laying of the foundation stone makes our vision even more tangible and visible. We are delighted that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is also supporting us as a companion in this step."
Mayor Feldmann is particularly aware of the importance of the construction for Frankfurt as a location: "As a football fan, I am very pleased that construction work on this forward-looking project is finally starting. Professional football has a long tradition in Frankfurt. The academy not only strengthens our position as a sports city throughout Germany, but also sends positive impulses to all regional sports clubs."
