Controversy and disputes: Sven Mislintat discusses his second spell at Borussia Dortmund

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·6 Oktober 2025

Controversy and disputes: Sven Mislintat discusses his second spell at Borussia Dortmund

Sven Mislintat was once dubbed the ‘diamond eye’ at Borussia Dortmund for his ability to unearth talents. During his first spell at the club where he was a scout before being promoted to the director of football, a position he held until November 2017, Mislintat was responsible for bringing players such as Shinji Kagawa, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembélé to the Ruhr club.

A move to Arsenal beckoned before spells at Stuttgart and Ajax preceded a return to Dortmund in May 2024. But Mislintat’s return to his boyhood club didn’t go as planned with Sportschau claiming that Mislintat’s career ‘has been marked by conflicts’.

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Borussia Dortmund’s Power Struggle

During his second spell at the club, Mislintat and Sebastian Kehl were at the centre of a power struggle, resulting in the pair not getting on.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Kicker, the 52-year-old was asked whether or not it was a mistake to sign with Dortmund for a second time.

“I was born in Dortmund. BVB was, is, and will remain my club. I owe BVB an incredible amount, especially for the trust Michael Zorc and Jürgen Klopp placed in me. When I was offered the opportunity to return to Dortmund and sign a long-term contract after my time at Ajax, I considered it an honour and gladly accepted. I was convinced that I would be able to contribute positively to the club after all the experiences I had gained, both positive and negative, at home and abroad since my move in 2017. I was looking forward to working with Matthias Sammer, who also had confidence in me from a very early stage and with Edin Terzic, whom I greatly respect both professionally and personally. I also saw many old faces and friends from my first eleven years at BVB.”

Mislintat was questioned by Kicker journalists Matthias Dersch and Thomas Hennecke about Sportschau’s choice of wording, which suggests that the public’s impression of the former BVB employee is one that asks for trouble.

“I agree with you, that’s how it reads. And I admit that I would prefer other headlines. But I can’t change it. What I can say, however, is: talk to the people I’ve worked with over the last 20 years and who know me well. The direct feedback from the fans is also different. A small example: shortly after I was released from BVB, the home game against Stuttgart was scheduled. I had long in advance bought tickets for friends of ours from Stuttgart, who then stayed overnight with us. I didn’t go the stadium myself, but I drove them there and then stayed in the city, watching the game in a cafe. Not a single fan, whether Stuttgart or Dortmund, insulted me or even gave me a strange look.”

GGFN | Daniel Pinder