Despite disappointing season
© Imago
Despite the disappointing season, Borussia Dortmund’s sports director wants to go into the coming season with Sebastian Kehl as sports director and Niko Kovac as a coach. “This is still the clear goal,” said Lars Ricken in the interview of the “Funke Medien” group. He reported “intensive cooperation” in particular with Kehl, the contract of which the BVB had only extended in January to 2027.
However, Kehl has been criticized for some time because of the composition of the squad during the table. “When we extended Sebastian’s contract, it was important to me that we would get the maximum out of the season and go into the future together. I clearly expressed that at the time. And nothing changed about this goal,” emphasized Ricken, who has been in office as a sports director for almost a year.
Ricken: A lot of praise for Kovac’s work – does Sammer’s role change?
The Champions League finalist of the previous year had separated as a trainer just a few weeks after the contract extension with Kehl by Nuri Şahin. Although the Dortmund also clearly lagged behind the real goals under his successor Kovac, Ricken praised his work very much. “Under Niko’s management, we have the best defensive two-way battle rate in the league. We go with the intensive runs. We earn more scoring opportunities, let much less and reduced our goals.” The Kovac Treaty in Dortmund still applies until summer 2026.
On the other hand, consultants Matthias Sammer, whose contract expires at the end of the year, could lead to an elementary role. Only then should the contract be extended according to the “Sport Bild”. Instead of suggesting newcomers, for example, Sammer is rather to strategically advise the club on the orientation.
