Former BVB boss hails Book as a ‘top investment’ | OneFootball

After BVB’s strong start to the season, Sven Mislintat is raving about Ole Book’s work. The former Dortmund chief scout is particularly impressed by his transfer strategy.

Borussia Dortmund have made an excellent start to the new Bundesliga season — and BVB are also receiving plenty of praise off the pitch. Sven Mislintat is especially taken with the work of new sporting director Ole Book. The former Dortmund chief scout sees his appointment as a successful move.

Book took over from Sebastian Kehl in March 2026. Before that, he worked at SV Elversberg. For Mislintat, his appointment was certainly a bold one. Dortmund had “made a brave decision and rewarded a clear track record of performance,” the 53-year-old said on Doppelpass on SPORT1. At the same time, Book had already shown at Elversberg that he has a clear idea of how to build a team. In doing so, he “showed vision and courage,” said Mislintat, who therefore described the new sporting director as a “top investment by Dortmund.”

Mislintat is particularly convinced by BVB’s transfer strategy. In the summer, Dortmund spent a long time pursuing Said El Mala. However, a move for the 20-year-old did not materialize despite a total package worth around €50 million. Instead of meeting 1. FC Köln’s financial demands, BVB opted for other solutions.

Mislintat raves about BVB manager Book

Mislintat believes this approach was the right one. “Said El Mala was probably the first choice, but not at any price, and that’s what sets a top squad planner and sporting director apart — knowing his Plan B options, and it was smart to split the money,” said the currently unattached official.

Photo: IMAGO

Dortmund then invested in Konstantinos Karetsas and Giannis Konstantelias. Karetsas joined BVB from KRC Genk for €30 million, while Konstantelias arrived from Thessaloniki for €26 million. Both fit the club’s concept of once again focusing more heavily on young players with development potential.

Mislintat also credits Book for this approach. He considers it “very smart that Ole Book is tapping into what made Dortmund strong in the past: signing young, developable players instead of experienced ones.” Karetsas in particular has impressed Mislintat. From his very first actions, it was already clear “that this is something special.” The former BVB scout is convinced: “Guys like Karetsas can spark something again. That’s what Borussia Dortmund needed.”

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