Manager snub from the Bundesliga: BVB made enquiries with Bayer | OneFootball

Before deciding on Nils-Ole Book as the new sporting director, Borussia Dortmund also looked at Bayer Leverkusen – but received a rejection.

In the search for a successor to Sebastian Kehl, Borussia Dortmund apparently took a close look at Kim Falkenberg from Bayer Leverkusen. As reported by BILD, the 37-year-old was on the list for the Black and Yellows – but the Bundesliga club received a clear rejection.

Falkenberg, who works as the Director of Professional Football at Bayer and is considered a close confidant of sports director Simon Rolfes, made his stance unmistakably clear: “A move is not an issue for me at the moment.” Instead, he sees his future continuing with the current top club from Leverkusen: “We have great goals here at Bayer Leverkusen, both collectively and personally for me.”

An engagement in Dortmund apparently did not represent a real career step for him. Falkenberg has been with the club since 2018 and has steadily worked his way up before taking on his current position in March 2025. Internally, he is highly regarded, especially for his excellent talent scouting.

BVB received a rejection from Leverkusen boss Kim Falkenberg

Falkenberg was instrumental in bringing promising players to Leverkusen. Examples include striker Christian Kofane, whose market value increased rapidly in a short time and has now even attracted the attention of international top clubs, as well as Ibrahim Maza, who has also shown strong development.

Photo: IMAGO

Ultimately, BVB decided on a different solution: Nils-Ole Book from SV Elversberg will take on the role of sporting director in the future. The Dortmund management is convinced by the appointment. “With Ole Book, we have been able to bring our preferred candidate for the position of sporting director to BVB,” explained sports director Lars Ricken.

Managing director Carsten Cramer also highlighted the qualities of the new addition: “We are very pleased to have appointed Ole Book as the new sporting director.” Despite his relatively young age, the 40-year-old has already gained a lot of experience and fits excellently with the club both professionally and personally. With Falkenberg's rejection and the appointment of Book, Borussia Dortmund is now taking a new path – while Leverkusen can keep one of its most important figures in the background.

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