After BVB exit: Mislintat opens up on power struggle with Kehl | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund and Sven Mislintat parted ways again after only a few months. Now, the former Technical Director speaks openly about conflicts, accusations, and his future.

After months of silence, Sven Mislintat has spoken in detail for the first time about his departure from Borussia Dortmund. The 52-year-old, who returned to his beloved club as Technical Director in May 2024, was already released again in February. At the end of August, the final separation followed. Now, Mislintat speaks in an interview with kicker about the background—and his perspective on things.

There were especially tensions with Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl. “The cooperation didn’t work out the way we all would have liked,” Mislintat openly admitted. However, he emphasized that there had been no overstepping of authority on his part: “I always stuck to my employment contract—and to the instructions of my superiors Lars Ricken and Aki Watzke.”

The relationship between Mislintat and Kehl was reportedly marked by uncertainties about responsibilities from early on. “All of us—and I explicitly include myself in this responsibility—did not manage quickly and well enough to align our competencies, discuss them, and, if necessary, reorganize them in case of overlaps,” said Mislintat.

Ex-BVB boss Mislintat defends himself against accusations

Contrary to some reports, he also never had ambitions to replace Kehl as Sporting Director. “It was often said that I absolutely wanted to become Sporting Director. That is wrong. I found the technical directorship very fitting and consciously chose it,” the Kamener clarified.

Mislintat also firmly rejects the accusation that he left a “scorched earth” at his previous positions—most recently at Dutch top club Ajax Amsterdam: “I disagree with that. But it is certainly true that I am very open to discussion and strong in my opinions. You don’t achieve top performance in comfort zones.”

Despite the unpleasant ending, the former chief scout looks back gratefully on his time at BVB. “I was born in Dortmund, BVB was, is, and will remain my club. I owe BVB an incredible amount,” said Mislintat. Currently, the former squad planner is without a club, but does not rule out a return to football: “I enjoy the time with my family and friends, but I also use it to develop myself further. I am completely open—it doesn’t have to be at a top club.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.