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DORTMUND, Germany — Borussia Dortmund supporters are planning to start the Bundesliga season with major protests against the club's sponsorship deal with German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall. Südtribüne Dortmund says in a statement on behalf of more than 90 Dortmund fan groups that it objects to the club's management's decision "to use Borussia Dortmund's appeal to improve the public image of an arms company and throw their own values overboard in the process." Dortmund announced its signing of the three-year sponsorship deal with Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall on May 29, three days before the team played Real Madrid in the Champions League final. Rheinmetall is the world's largest maker of artillery ammunition and expects to make record group sales of around 10 billion euros ($11.1 billion) this year.
