Football Bundesliga
Search for a coach and leadership problems: BVB as a pseudo giant?
Borussia Dortmund is in the biggest crisis since the end of Jürgen Klopp’s era in 2015. A new coach alone is unlikely to be enough to get BVB back on track. There are many problems.
A change of coach doesn’t seem to be enough at Borussia Dortmund. BVB, which has slipped to tenth place in the table, has only seemed like a pseudo-giant in the Bundesliga since parting ways with club idol Nuri Sahin as coach. Apparently unprepared for Sahin’s unavoidable leave of absence, the many bosses are currently in internal and, at best, external discussions about a suitable successor.
On Saturday (3:30 p.m./Sky) against Werder Bremen, the actual U19 coach Mike Tullberg will be on the bench. That takes some time. Time that BVB actually doesn’t have – especially since the Champions League final for direct progression against Shakhtar Donetsk is coming up next Wednesday.
In view of the seven points gap to the minimum target of fourth place, a turnaround is urgently needed in the league. “We have to play a very good second half of the season in order to possibly achieve our goals. A win against Bremen is a must,” said sports director Lars Ricken.
Ricken admits defeat for BVB bosses
The 48-year-old was surprisingly promoted to sports director in 2024 and was preferred to sports director Sebastian Kehl. Ricken had no previous experience in his new area. But now he has to quickly show his profile in the biggest BVB crisis since the end of Jürgen Klopp’s era almost ten years ago. “This is of course a defeat for all of us and it hurts,” said Ricken after parting ways with his former teammate Sahin.
Because the image that the BVB management is currently portraying is causing concern among fans and those around them. The long-time boss Hans-Joachim Watzke has already noticeably withdrawn and will be leaving as head of the management team as planned in the fall. The 65-year-old was astonished by his final personnel decisions last year. In addition to the decision for Ricken and against Kehl, he brought back the controversial Sven Mislintat as squad planner – another of Kehl’s opponents.
While Sahin’s seemingly unbalanced squad has been increasingly blown up in recent weeks, reports about the dissonance between Kehl and Mislintat have increased.
BVB squad as a permanent construction site
It has not been confirmed that the disagreements between the two hindered important personnel decisions. What is still noticeable is that ten days before the end of the transfer deadline, not a single urgently needed new signing has been signed. And that despite the fact that Donyell Malen (Aston Villa) is now missing another player from the squad. “I have a trusting relationship with everyone. We’re obviously dealing with it, that’s clear,” said Ricken about the obvious tensions behind the scenes.
Despite the numerous criticisms of the squad, which “Bild” described as a “soulless crash team”, the contract with Kehl was extended again after tough negotiations. A mistake?
One of Sahin’s last sentences as BVB coach is certainly profound: “It’s about this club finding peace, the club becoming successful again and that we don’t have any secondary theaters of war.”
There seems to be too much of that at the moment. Matthias Sammer’s dual role as BVB consultant and Amazon Prime expert also always causes astonishment. During Dortmund’s Champions League appearance in Bologna on Tuesday (1:2), Sammer openly complained about the state of the current team. Entertaining for the audience, annoying for Sahin, who was no longer in office shortly afterwards.
Difficult management structure as an obstacle when looking for a trainer?
This could also make the search for a successor more difficult. But the makers apparently don’t agree on this issue either. The names Erik ten Hag, who is still under contract with Manchester United, Roger Schmidt and Niko Kovac were mentioned. From another side it was then heard that the supposed favorite Kovac was not the ideal solution, even if he can obviously imagine the job. “I’m a guy who needs and looks for challenges – regardless of this topic,” said the former Eintracht, Bayern and Wolfsburg coach to the Austrian broadcaster Canal+.
Schmidt said before Sahin’s leave of absence that he did not want to take over a new club in the winter. Nothing has changed since then, the former coach of Bayer Leverkusen and Benfica Lisbon now confirms.
Whoever takes on the tricky job will have to manage the unresolved imbalance in the limited squad and the disagreements among the bosses in the background. There is also a threat of a season without the Champions League millions. But this may also be exactly the opportunity for BVB to reposition itself in more than just the coaching position.
dpa
Source: Stern

I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.