Borussia Dortmund turned a 0-2 half-time deficit into a home win in the Bundesliga. In addition, the BVB club icon lost his job as sports director on Sunday.
In the 3-2 win against Hamburger SV, Ramy Bensebaini scored two penalties (73rd and 84th minutes) and Fabio Silva (79th) for the second-placed team, while national player Felix Nmecha (45th) missed BVB’s first penalty. Philip Otele (19th) and Albert Sambi Lokonga (38th) scored the goals for HSV in front of 81,365 spectators in the sold-out Dortmund stadium.
BVB is still nine points behind leaders FC Bayern, while HSV missed important points in the relegation battle. Before FC St. Pauli’s game against SC Freiburg on Sunday, HSV’s lead over their city rivals is six points.
Sudden end for BVB icon: Kehl is no longer sports director
Sebastian Kehl was able to talk about his squad plans for Borussia Dortmund after the crazy comeback against Hamburger SV. A few hours later, the BVB club icon lost his job as sports director on Sunday. After 24 years as a player and official, the 46-year-old has to leave Dortmund immediately.
“In a very open conversation, Sebastian Kehl, Carsten Cramer and I came to the common conclusion that the right time for changes has come in the summer. So that both sides can prepare for this, we have mutually agreed to immediately terminate Sebastian’s position,” said sports director Lars Ricken, who has also recently been criticized.
This had also been the case for months for Kehl, who had to repeatedly defend his squad composition. The last time he did this was on Saturday evening after the furious 3-2 win against HSV after being 2-0 down at the break. “This shows that we are doing a really good job in the league and that the team is functioning,” said the former national player and BVB captain.
BVB position cemented seven match days before the end
With the victory, BVB practically cemented their place as runner-up. Seven game days before the end of the season, hardly anything is likely to happen either upwards, nine points behind league leader Bayern Munich, or downwards, eleven points ahead of fifth place. The bosses seem to want to use the time gained as a result.
“The separation from Sebastian Kehl naturally means a change in our sporting management level,” said club boss Cramer. And it comes as a surprise, at least at this point in time. Last week he held further discussions about the fundamental question for BVB, whether national defender Nico Schlotterbeck would prematurely extend his contract in Dortmund, which runs until 2027.
Kehl pushed ahead with squad planning until the end
“I remain very optimistic that Nico Schlotterbeck will stay at Borussia Dortmund. We had very good discussions again,” said Kehl. In retrospect, this seemed almost grotesque given the developments. This also applies to a scouting tour in the Champions League last week. There, BVB itself had already said goodbye miserably to Atalanta Bergamo in the round of 16 qualification. The listed BVB is now missing the millions that were surprisingly taken into account and that is depressing the mood despite the good Bundesliga season.
The big season analysis shouldn’t actually take place until the summer, but the new club boss Cramer is apparently pushing the pace. The successor to Hans-Joachim Watzke, who moved to the club’s presidency, wants to get BVB ready for the title again. It is unclear whether the reorganization will have further personnel consequences – for example for sports director Ricken. Recently there were rumors about Frankfurt’s Markus Krösche, who is Eintracht’s sports director and would therefore hardly work a level below as sports director at a new club.
Rumors about Krösche at BVB and Kehl at HSV
There are also immediate rumors about Kehl. What is known is that his name is being traded by Saturday evening’s opponent, HSV. The newcomer is still looking for a successor for Stefan Kuntz, who left as sports director at the end of last year. However, HSV is not supposed to be that far along with its plans yet.
“Borussia Dortmund has been with me for half my life and I have an extreme connection to this great club. Nevertheless, we have now developed the feeling together that it is time to go new ways – both for BVB and for me,” said Kehl, who was active for BVB for 13 years. During that time he became German champion three times and won the double in 2012. “I have a lot to thank Borussia Dortmund for and am proud to have been part of the BVB family for around 24 years,” said Kehl.
The 46-year-old was initially head of the BVB licensed player department in 2018 and became sports director in 2022 as the successor to Michael Zorc. Kehl had already been passed over for the election of a sports director. The choice fell on Ricken at the time. “Sebastian Kehl already has a permanent place in the annals of Borussia Dortmund. I wish him all the best for his personal future and the greatest possible success for his future career,” said Watzke, who made the decision for Ricken in 2024.
DORTMUND (dpa-AFX)
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