Talent Bynoe-Gittens moves up
In the coming summer, Sebastian Kehl will succeed Michael Zorc as head of sport at Borussia Dortmund and has a major task ahead of him with the envisaged change. “I’m looking forward to it, I really feel like starting, leading, tackling things,” the ex-captain said in an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung‘ see through despite the difficulties in the transfer market.
“I’m sure I have a few different approaches than Michael Zorc, I’m a person who thinks about some things differently and is knitted a little differently, that’s in the nature of things,” Kehl explained possible changes in the sporting management. “But now I will gain my experience, build up my contacts, bring in my mentality, cultivate my style. And of course making my own mistakes. I hope they will grant me that.” For the 42-year-old it is clear: “There will never be a perfect transition.”
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There will be no new change on the coaching bench. “We are convinced that we are going in the right direction with Marco. You need a bit of time for that,” said Kehl about Marco Rose, who signed for around 5 million euros from Borussia Mönchengladbach last summer. The situation is different with the BVB squad, where a lot will also depend on the future of the courted top scorer Erling Haaland (21). Kehl did not want to comment on a possible departure, only confirming that BVB will “pull up the next talent in the summer” with Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (17).
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“However, I can basically say: We are striving for changes, discussions are ongoing. We know that we want or even have to do something at one point or another. But it will depend a bit: Will one or the other player leave us? Many have longer contracts. What are the possibilities that players can or want to change? And then what can we do with it? And last but not least: How is the pandemic developing? And how does politics react to this? There are currently many imponderables. Too many for definitives,” Kehl made clear.
Squad “relatively large” according to Kehl: BVB upheaval will probably take longer
In general, the BVB squad is “relatively large”, says Kehl. “We will certainly also have to let go of players who simply no longer have any prospects with us.” At the moment, “a lot of talks are being held in all directions,” Kehl stated: “Above all, Borussia Dortmund stands by its contracts. That’s why I have to say: It’s possible that only two players will leave us in the end; we may not be able to get as many as a lot of people think; can well be and is even likely that it will take several transfer windows to implement our ideas. I don’t want people to say: Man, what did Kehl promise – and what happened to it? There are still too many imponderables at play at the moment.”
In general, Kehl “wanted to give the team a new impetus, create new energy in the team, break up a few encrusted structures in the squad, and fuel new competition. ‘Just keep it up’, as I said a few weeks ago, can no longer exist. And for that you need a few new, fresh players who change the dynamics within the team,” said the current license director, who made it clear: “We will be able to do something, even without sales.”
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Before these transfers, however, Kehl is faced with the following questions: “Will player X leave us? Then what do we get for him? Is Erling Haaland leaving? And what do we get for him then? And is anyone else going? We are developing different scenarios in parallel, which also represent different financial budgets. We will be prepared for all eventualities.” BVB has certain aspects in mind. “Speed in the offensive area, for example, certainly also a certain goal threat. Especially since we cannot rule out that we will ultimately lose Erling Haaland, ”said Kehl.
Sales of top performers at BVB “part of our success model”
Last year, BVB had to give up a dangerous top performer in Jadon Sancho (22), who switched to Manchester United for 85 million euros. “We haven’t really been able to replace him so far,” Kehl admitted. “Each position has a different profile, which is important to us. But above all, for me, I want nothing but boys here, but they really want this club and tear themselves apart.” But players who bring all of this with them are in most cases unaffordable for us.”
The fact that up-and-coming players can no longer be kept at BVB is “part of our success model,” explained Kehl. “The fact that we develop players here and then sell them on very profitably – our system helps finance that. We are currently separated from the industry leader FC Bayern by 285 million in sales and probably 150 million in budget for player salaries. In the year! That’s a very large delta – by the way, more than separates us from the 18th Greuther Fürth. That’s why you start here again and again, develop the next one. There is no alternative. Of course it would be nicer to be able to keep players longer. But at least: Lewandowski was with us for four years, Aubameyang for five, Sancho for four.
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Kehl does not want to complain too much, after all, apart from the Munich team, every club is “in a similar situation. Only that everyone buys from other shelves and sells into other shelves,” said the former international. “If you don’t have a big investor who ultimately doesn’t care about the money, then you just have to make sure that you maintain a salary structure and that you let a player who thinks he’s bigger than the club go. Simply in order not to destroy the structure and culture within a team. This is of course a Sisyphean task. But it can also be fun, always brings new momentum.”
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