Apology Issued by DFB for Mill Wedding Ad in Essen
DFB Apologises for Omission of Frank Mill's Formative Club in Obituary
The German Football Association (DFB) has issued an apology for overlooking Rot-Weiss Essen, Frank Mill's formative club, in the obituary published following the former World Cup winner's passing.
The apology was made in response to media reports by Bild and WAZ, with DFB CEO Andreas Rettig expressing sincere regret for the oversight. However, the apology does not indicate any plans to rectify the omission in the original obituary.
Frank Mill's obituary, published in regional newspapers, highlighted his achievements and former clubs, such as Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund, and Fortuna Düsseldorf. But it failed to mention Rot-Weiss Essen, the club where Mill began his professional career and played youth football from 1972 and professionally from 1976 to 1981.
Mill developed into a prolific striker while playing for Rot-Weiss Essen, scoring 41 goals in the 1980/81 season in the 2nd Bundesliga. His higher-profile successes and broader recognition came later at Borussia Mönchengladbach (1981–1986) and Borussia Dortmund (1986–1994).
Obituaries and official tributes by organizations like the DFB often emphasize the periods of a player's career associated with top-tier accomplishments or greater public visibility. Since Mill's most notable achievements—including his status as a World Cup winner and enduring reputation—were tied to his time after Rot-Weiss Essen, this may explain the omission.
Rot-Weiss Essen fans are upset because Mill's hometown club was not mentioned in his obituary. They expressed their displeasure on social media, with the publication of the obituary causing discontent among the club's supporters.
The DFB's apology may not fully address the discontent among Rot-Weiss Essen fans, as the omission remains in the original obituary. Frank Mill joined Rot-Weiss Essen at the age of 14 and had achievements in football before moving on to bigger clubs. The obituary for Mill was published in newspapers, not online or through other mediums.
[1] Frank Mill - Wikipedia [2] Frank Mill - DFB News [4] Frank Mill - Bundesliga News [5] Frank Mill - Goal News
- Despite his prolific scoring and significant years spent at Rot-Weiss Essen, the Champions League and European league stages of Frank Mill's career, which he later achieved at Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund, were the aspects emphasized in the DFB's obituary.
- Rot-Weiss Essen fans, disappointed that the club where Frank Mill began his professional football journey and spent formative years was not mentioned in the DFB's obituary, have taken to social media to express their displeasure.
