Dreesen and Mintzlaff on the ECA Executive Board

The Bundesliga continues to be represented by top personnel on the board of the powerful European Club Association. Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen and RB Leipzig's Oliver Mintzlaff were elected to the ECA board on Thursday, as expected.

At the club association's general assembly in Berlin, Eintracht Frankfurt CEO Axel Hellmann was also given an observer post on the governing body. ECA boss Nasser Al-Khelaifi had described him the previous day as a "friend" and voice of the clubs from the continental soccer middle class. In the ECA board sits from the Bundesliga also Bayer Leverkusen's managing director Fernando Carro.

With these personnel, the German top clubs complete a change in the ECA. Dreesen replaces Oliver Kahn, who also no longer plays a role in the ECA after his Bayern exit. Mintzlaff succeeds Borussia Dortmund's managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke, who resigned his ECA mandate after joining the Executive Committee of the European Football Union UEFA.

"FC Bayern and the ECA have a long tradition and I am delighted to take on responsibility in this leading body of European club soccer," said Dreesen, who has been appointed until 2027. "We want to underline our claim to leadership in international competition and at the same time be a strong voice for German soccer."

The ECA board now also includes Joshua Wander. The head of financial investor 777 Partners, which has joined second-division club Hertha BSC, was elected to represent Belgian club Standard Liege, which is also part of the U.S. company's portfolio.

The ECA has become a powerful association in club soccer in recent years. With UEFA was prevented in 2021 the creation of a Super League. Significantly, the clubs drove the reform of the Champions League with more games and even higher billions in revenue from the 2024/25 season.