BORUSSIA DORTMUNDGmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien, Dortmund access and manipulation of data. Confidential data human life takes precedence – that goes without that is processed, transferred or stored online must saying – but the economic consequences for the be encrypted. The data should remain encrypted businesses involved have also been immense. and protected even if the online application is There thus continues to be a risk of travel and other compromised. The IT security officers, the heads of accidents, terrorist attacks and miscellaneous; the individual application areas and the data therefore, Borussia Dortmund continues to classify protection officers are responsible for initiating the this risk as high priority. data; the developers and administrators are responsible for implementation. To meet the The risk of legal transgressions by professional increased requirements for cyber security and IT in players was newly classified as a high-priority risk general, action was taken to significantly increase this financial year. It covers the risks arising due to staffing levels in IT. misconduct among members of the professional squad, including doping offences, illegal sports The risk of periods during which professional betting or inappropriate conduct on social media. players are unable to play (rest periods) can have The consequences of such misconduct may include a major impact on the Company's success, match suspensions and reputational damage for because they mean that team managers are players and the club, or legal disputes. The action unable to play the best possible team for the entire that Borussia Dortmund takes to mitigate this risk season, putting sporting goals in jeopardy. The includes systematic education and preventative absence of key players in particular is often measures to raise awareness among the difficult to compensate for. The reasons for rest professional squad and help them avoid such periods include personal match bans, injury, misconduct. excessive stress or a COVID-19 virus infection. The systematic implementation of DFL's hygiene Another risk newly classified as high priority is the concept minimises the risk that the professional lack of willingness to transfer. The contracts that squad and the coaching and support staff will players negotiate at Borussia Dortmund are contract the COVID-19 virus. Excessive stress may incredibly lucrative when looking at other arise more frequently going forward, particularly Bundesliga clubs. For players who, for whatever since the coming season will in all likelihood see reason, spend more time on the bench than they a tight schedule of fixtures due to the 2022 World want, this could nevertheless deter them from Cup in Qatar (to be held in the winter) and UEFA's accepting transfers. reform of the Champions League, which from the 2024/2025 season onwards will feature ten group The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused matches instead of the previous six. We deliberately financial difficulties for many clubs in Germany and ensure that back-ups are available for every around the world. This could increasingly lead to position within the squad so that we can absorb situations in which other clubs are unwilling to meet the absence of any individual player. the salary expectations of players whom Borussia Dortmund intends to transfer, making it difficult for The world of sport has witnessed a number of Borussia Dortmund to find a suitable buyer. terrible accidents in recent years. The tragic loss of 70