Focus on youth development Deutsche Wohnen is new main sponsor of 1st VfL Potsdam
Deutsche Wohnen is the new main sponsor of the 3rd division handball club 1st VfL Potsdam, aka the Eagles. With this new cooperation, the Berlin-based property company is continuing its involvement with the sport of handball. Since 2016, Deutsche Wohnen has been a platinum partner of the Füchse Berlin, who plan to work with the 1st VfL Potsdam during the coming years to develop the largest handball youth academy in Germany. A further goal is to establish the 1st VfL Potsdam in the 2nd division. The cooperation agreement is initially set to run until 2024.
With the help of this new involvement from Deutsche Wohnen, work is continuing on professionalising and improving the structure of handball training and development in Berlin-Brandenburg. With the appointment of the Füchse Berlin managing director Bob Hanning as head coach of the 1st VfL Potsdam and with the addition of many Berlin talents to the squad of the Potsdam Eagles, the intention is to secure promotion to the 2nd division this season.
Michael Zahn, CEO of Deutsche Wohnen SE: “Since before the corona pandemic we have known how important sport is for children and young people. What is particularly important to us in our involvement with handball is youth development. And with our cooperation with the 1st VfL Potsdam, we are remaining true to our principles. Together, the Füchse Berlin and the Potsdam Eagles will make their mark in their work with young players. We are delighted that we can support this endeavour.”
Dr Norbert Ahrend, chairman of the 1st VfL Potsdam, thinks that this move will further strengthen the foundation for youth development work: “Following Deutsche Wohnen’s close cooperation with the Füchse Berlin, the company’s support here is the next important step in developing our joint youth development centre. Most members of our team have been through this training centre. With the involvement of Deutsche Wohnen, we can now continue to strengthen it.”
Bob Hanning, head coach of the 1st VfL Potsdam and managing director of the Füchse Berlin: “I believe that we have an exciting project ahead of us and, by pooling resources and making structural changes, we will establish the 1st VfL Potsdam in the 2nd division over the long term.”
Deutsche Wohnen
Deutsche Wohnen is one of the leading publicly listed residential property companies in Europe. The business focus of the company is on managing its own portfolio of residential properties in dynamic metropolitan regions and conurbations in Germany. Deutsche Wohnen sees itself as having both a social responsibility and a duty to maintain and newly develop good-quality and affordable housing in vibrant residential neighbourhoods. As at 30 September 2021, the portfolio comprised a total of around 158,000 units, of which 155,000 were residential and around 3,000 commercial.