Feature: A new era at BVB as Ole Book replaces Sebastian Kehl | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke is known for speaking his mind, and in a 2025/26 season that is set to end trophyless, he has all too often cut a frustrated figure.

Although the club currently sits in second, there is a nine-point gulf between them and Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich, which is most likely insurmountable this season. Last week, Watzke expressed his frustration speaking to local newspaper Ruhr24: “Of course, we want to win the title, but this season the cracks have set in pretty early, and we have to accept that the nine-point gap is what it is.”

BVB fans want success, but it’s been 14 years since the last league title. For this season, Watzke has limited expectations: “The way the team are playing right now, second-place would be a huge achievement, a Champions League finish is the minimum target, however.”

The frustration of Watzke, who since 2005 has been instrumental in his rise from Treasurer to Managing Director and CEO to elected Chairman at Borussia, has been widely shared across the fan scene. The tension has been building, and something was always going to change ahead of 26/27.

The failure to win titles has consequences for Sebastian Kehl, and the club acted decisively to fill the vacuum

The club on Sunday announced that former captain Sebastian Kehl has left the club with immediate effect and will be replaced by Ole Book, the long-term Sporting Director of 2. Bundesliga shooting stars SV Elversberg 07.

Ole Book, who has signed a contract at the Westfalenstadion until 2029, is one of the architects of their incredible rise from the Regionalliga, the 4th tier, to the Bundesliga Play-offs last season, a position they once again occupy this season, over his nine years at the club, who are based in the state of the Saarland on the French border.

Born and raised in Beckum, just 45 miles from Dortmund, the former midfielder of MSV Duisburg and Wehen Wiesbaden, who also coincided with Marco Reus at LR Ahlen, developed from scout and analyst to Sporting Director and finally board member at the ambitious club, which is heavily supported by pharmaceutical company Ursapharm.

The club’s success has been heavily built on a combination of selecting outstanding young talent and loans, a strategy which Book has been largely credited with, alongside long-term coach Horst Steffen. The former Germany U21 player is reputed to have discovered Nick Woltemade, Fisnik Asllani, Younes Ebnoutalib, Robin Fellhauer, and Paul Wanner, who have all gone on to have success at the highest level.

This is a decisive move by the club for a proven visionary and effective decision-maker, albeit one with limited experience and a manager who has no experience at all of achieving titles at a club at the level of Borussia Dortmund.

Goodbye, Captain Kehl: What led to his dismissal?

The club announced on Sunday that the former captain and Sporting Director, Sebastian Kehl, had departed from his position at the club. Speaking about the change, Managing Director Lars Ricken said, “In a very open discussion, Sebastian Kehl, CEO, Carsten Cramer, and I came to the shared conclusion that the summer is the right time for changes. To allow both sides to prepare, we mutually agreed to an immediate termination of Sebastian’s contract.

Ricken, who worked closely with Kehl at the club, further elaborated: “Sebastian and I also share a long history. We not only played together for Borussia Dortmund, but also won the German championship together in 2002. Sebastian has made an enormous contribution to our club, and we are very grateful for his great commitment.”

Speaking about the decision, Kehl said: “Borussia Dortmund has been a part of my life for half my life, and I have an extremely strong connection to this great club. Nevertheless, we have now jointly come to the conclusion that it’s time to move forward – both for BVB and for me. Lars, Carsten, and I reached this decision today after a constructive discussion. I owe Borussia Dortmund a great deal and am proud to have been part of the BVB family for around 24 years.”

Kehl spent 13 years as a Dortmund player between 2002 and 2015, before returning as head of the professional players’ department in 2018. Four years later, he moved into the role he has today exited, playing his part in the Black-Yellows run to the Champions League final, which was lost to Real Madrid at Wembley in 2024.

Sebastian Kehl stepped into big shoes when he took over from Michael Zorc

So was the former Germany international given sufficient time in the role to evaluate his success and what led to his dismissal?

Kehl completed his UEFA A coaching badge following his 2015 retirement. Given the respect he earned as Dortmund’s captain, a position in the club’s hierarchy was always on the cards.

In 2018, he was appointed head of professional football with a view to becoming Michael Zorc’s replacement. Fast forward to summer 2022; Zorc departed, and Kehl stepped up.

The shoes couldn’t have been bigger to step into; however, the club’s record player, Michael Zorc, is largely credited with putting in place the strategies that led to the high points of 3 titles, 3 DFB Pokal cup wins, and two Champions League finals over the 24 years he was at the helm.

What did Kehl inherit?

It would be fair to say that the last four years have inspired at times, but on balance, the win of the 2021 DFB Pokal is simply not enough. Peter Bosz, Peter Stöger, Lucien Favre, Edin Terzić, Marco Rose, Terzić again, followed by Niko Kovac, have all coached Dortmund since 2018. Kehl brought stability in the role of head of professional football, but has arguably not brought enough in one of the club’s most important leadership positions.

How has Kehl performed as sporting director? Key signings

Niklas Süle: The 27-year-old arrived from Bayern Munich on a free transfer. The Rekordmeister wanted to move the 1.95m man on prior to signing Matthijs de Ligt. Neither Thomas Meunier nor Emre Can was a fit at centre-back at the time. Süle is a versatile player with the ability to cover at right-back, but even joining on a free transfer, a salary of 5m was never justified. He has featured in just 67 games since joining in 2022 and will be released in the summer.

Nico Schlotterbeck: Very little needs to be said about Nico Schlotterbeck, who joined from Freiburg for €20m. A Germany international, he’s done what was needed of him. The 22-year-old is amongst the best in his position, establishing himself as one of Europe’s young defenders, and deserves his place in BVB’s backline and in Hansi Flick’s Germany squad. Always looking to advance the ball, Schlotterbeck is in the 99th percentile for progressive passes in comparison to other central defenders across Europe’s top five leagues, per FBRef, and is arguably the best signing of the Kehl era.

Salih Özcan: A signing from FC Köln at just €5m, he is a good piece of business for Kehl. He’s an asset in a defensive midfield, an area that BVB have struggled in following the departure of Thomas Delaney, and last season under Steffen Baumgart, Özcan developed into one of the Bundesliga’s best ball-winning midfielders. BVB tends to ‘crumble’ in the middle of the park, which puts unmanageable pressure on the defence. Despite showing some ‘battle weariness’ this season in the majority of his 66 games across all competitions, the Turkey international appears to have made a solid contribution. The 28-year-old, however, has made few appearances this season and will also be released in the summer.

Karim Adeyemi: In terms of BVB transfers, €30m puts the recruit from RB Salzburg amongst the top five signings of the Kehl era. The German international made an impression on his debut, scoring at 1860 Munich, but then suffered a toe injury and was out for two months. He’s featured in 95 games for BVB and showcased his talent also as a goal scorer, notching up 11 goals for the black and yellows. Adeyemi has been on the radar of multiple top sides in Serie A, the Premier League, and La Liga.

Sébastien Haller: The form of Dortmund’s most expensive ever signing, sadly, and understandably, slumped after his cancer diagnosis and restart last season. Haller was, however, never able to show the kind of form that made him Ajax’s leading scorer in 21/22 with 34 across all competitions at the Westfalenstadion. The Ivory Coast international will be remembered for his 9 goals in a 22/23 season in which BVB only missed out on the title on goal difference. Haller was released by the club on a free transfer to Utrecht in the summer.

Anthony Modeste: A €5m emergency signing to cover for Haller, Modeste scored just 2 goals in 19 games and mostly looked out of his depth. The Frenchman never found the form that resulted in the spectacular 20 league goals he scored for Köln in 21/22.

Marcel Lotka: The Poland U21 goalkeeper arrived on a free after protracted negotiations from Hertha Berlin. Now with Fortuna Düsseldorf, the Poland U21 keeper showed immense talent, but during his three seasons with the club was overlooked by successive managers for the first team.

Alexander Meyer: The 31-year-old reserve keeper joined on a free from Jahn Regensburg in the summer of 2022. In his 17 appearances, he has looked competent but unspectacular.

Julian Ryerson: The Norway international at a fee of just €5m is one of Sebastian Kehl’s best signings, in his 91 appearances since signing from Union Berlin, the right-back has shown not only a high level of energy and skill, he has also impressed with a personal level of determination that has made him one of the most popular at the Westfalenstadion.

Julien Duranville: A €5m signing from Anderlecht in the summer of  2023 BVB fans have not had the chance to experience the undoubted skills of the Belgian U21 international due to a combination of injuries and loan spells,  the player, who is currently with Swiss giants FC Basel, at 19-years of age and with a contract until 2028 can still make his mark.

Jamie Gittens: The versatile winger made rapid progress from the U19s via the U23s to the first team, and established himself in the senior side showing flashes of briliiance and leadership in the 65 appearances he made in which he scored 17 goals, a €65m transfer to Chelsea in the summer, The England U21, who joined for €4m from Reading, was an impressive piece of business, even if he has largely failed to shine making just 27 apperances at Stamford Bridge.

Felix Nmecha: The €30m the club spent in the summer of 2023 puts the Manchester City prodigy among BVB’s biggest transfers, it’s fair to say that stepping into the shoes of Jude Bellingham was always going to be a challenge, after a spell of doubtful performances the 6-time Germany international has stepped up to become a regular performer, he has completed 110 matches in which he has scored 13 goals.

Marcel Sabitzer: Since joining from Bayern Munich for €19m, the central midfielder has proven to be a solid utility player who has shown moments of inspiration, and has notched up a solid 111 matches with the club in his 4 seasons at the Westfalenstadion.

Niclas Füllkrug: The centre-forward arrived from Werder Bremen with a reputation for his marksmanship. Fülle, as the Germany international is affectionately known, never managed to gain the traction up front that earned him 49 goals with the North German side, scoring just 15 times in 49 appearances before being released to West Ham for a €12m return.

Ian Maatsen: The decision not to sign the Left-back, who joined on loan from Chelsea for €2m in the summer transfer window ahead of 22/23, is often regarded as one of the biggest failures of the Kehl era, in spite of only having gained 1 cap for The Netherlands, the Dutchman instantly made his mark at the club, as he has at Villa Park. Maatsen could have been an ideal long-term option in the position. Although the club would have had to break their transfer fee ceiling, this one will be regarded as the one that got away.

Jadon Sancho: Little needs to be said about the former England winger who returned on loan from Manchester United for a reported fee of €4m under Kehl in 23/24. He made less of an impact than at his world-beating best in his second spell, but looks every bit the BVB player that many would like to see return, a good loan.

Ramy Bensebaini: The Algeria international, who can play at Left-back and centre-back, has suffered from the competition since joining from Moenchengladbach, but since arriving on a free transfer, despite his 102 appearances, he has seldom looked first choice. As a replacement for Raphael Guerreiro, the signing can largely be regarded as one of Kehl’s mistakes.

Ansgar Knauff: Coming up from the U19s, the highly talented but injury-prone 21-year-old made just 16 appearances in the first team before being transferred to Eintracht Frankfurt after two seasons in which he mostly came off the bench.

Maximilian Beier: Although he has largely starred from the bench due to the highly consistent scorer Serhou Guirassy, the €28.5m signing from TSG Hoffenheim can be considered a sound long-term investment, despite only scoring 19 goals in 83 games. He has a contract until 2029 and is currently rated at €40m and in demand, a very sound second striker.

Waldemar Anton: Whilst his first season was hampered by injury, the 21m signing from VfB Stuttgart has gone on to make 79 appearances over three seasons and is a solid and stabilising presence in the defence, and at €21m is a good transfer on balance.

Serhou Guirassy: Little needs to be said about the popular Guinean centre-forward, a regular scorer since signing from Stuttgart for €18 two years ago, in spite of form weaknesses this season, his 56 goals speaking for themselves.

Pascal Gross: A €7m transfer from Brighton, the central midfielder was a reliable and versatile midfielder and valued, but arguably did not make the level of impact he had in the Premier League. The journeyman player made 66 appearances before returning to the South Coast in what, even at 34, appeared to be a lost opportunity for the club.

Yan Couto: It is too early to judge, as the right-back has only played 56 games, but the 22-year-old has seldom looked the player he was at Girona. The €30 m paid to sign the Brazilian on a permanent basis brought criticism on the sporting director; however, his performances this season are improving.

Daniel Svensson: The signing of the versatile defensive player has been a very impressive signing for €6.5minhis 66 appearances; he has more than proven himself worthy of his permanent signing.

Carney Chukwuemeka: Has been a solid signing who shows moments of creative brilliance in the but the permanent signing of an injury-prone player who has seldom started, for a club by standards, €24m has been criticised.

Jobe Bellingham: The England U21 international should not be compared to Jude at just 20-years of age, but at €29m he is one of the club’s biggest ever signings, so inevitably he is. He can be regarded as a long-term investment that is starting to pay off. He is a consistent performer after overcoming an initial phase where he was frequently subbed off. Judgement of the transfer is in the balance at this stage, but the trajectory is improving.

Fabio Silva: A player who largely failed at Rangers and Wolves, eyebrows were raised when BVB came in for the Portuguese midfielder. While he has provided tactical value through his creativity and work rate, his lack of goals has led to reports of frustration and a potential push for a loan exit. At €29m, Kehl has come under some criticism for the transfer, but as is expected, a buyer will be found for want-away Guirassy Silva.

Aaron Anselmino: The young Argentine player looked like one of the msot complete defenders the club has signed in recent history, ultimately the chaotic nature of his transfer in which he returned joined on a season long loan from Chelsea with an option to buy, but left after making just 10 appearances with neither the player, nor manager Niko Kovac supportive of the move, raised concerns about the management skills of the sporting director.

Niko Kovac: Kehl can also be given credit for the signature of Niko Kovac as manager to replace the failed Nuri Sahin experiment, which was an outstanding success in 24/25 and continues to achieve sound results, albeit in a playing style that has been criticised.

And the key sales?

Manuel Akanji: He transferred to Manchester City for €17.5m. He had 12 months on his contract and had been unsettled. The fee is fair, but the City may yet sell the Swiss international for a considerably higher fee.

Steffen Tigges: The €1.5m paid by 1. FC Köln, where he spent two seasons, on balance seems to be a fair transfer. Sadly, like most players from BVB U23s, he struggled in the first team and is now with Paderborn 07.

Dan-Axel Zagadou: The 1.96m defender struggled with injuries and left on a free. His contract was not renewed, and BVB’s loss appeared initially to have been VfB Stuttgart’s gain, although his contract is up at the end of the season and is, according to reports, unlikely to be renewed.

Axel Witsel: The highly creative midfielder left at the end of his contract on a free transfer to Atletico Madrid. The Belgian international made a considerable impact, but at 34, it felt like the right time for a move to reignite his career.

Roman Bürki: The Keeper left on a free transfer to St Louis in the MLS after increasingly erratic performances, the right decision for the club at the time, and one which has paid off for the player who has made 100 appearances since 2022.

Erling Haaland: Undoubtedly one of the best strikers to ever play for BVB, leaving for €60m because of a release clause in his contract, saw a disappointing net return of €35m, but the negotiation has been attributed to Kehl’s predecessor, Michael Zorc.

Jude Bellingham: A reported €127m transfer to Real Madrid and the second-highest after Ousmane Dembele, there was no holding the player, and the fee paid is very solid.

Donyell Malen: The €25m paid by Aston Villa for the player who failed to fulfil the potential he showed at Ajax at BVB, and he has been released on loan to AS Roma.

Giovanni Reyna: The €4m achieved for the US international who failed in spite of his talent did not secure his first-team place, looks fair after Gio’s failed loan to Nottingham Forest and only 14 appearances at the Borussia Park.

Is Kehl really responsible for BVB’s limited silverware, or is there a deeper malaise?

Since the departure of Michael Zorc it has felt like the management has been in a state of upheaval, head scout Markus Pilawa leaving for Bayern left a big hole to fill, and the return of Sven Mislintat in his second era was short-lived, the signing of the top American athletic trainer Shad Forsythe, which was largely credited to Kehl, and his early departure, are others which have left the club giving the sense of a regular churn at the club.

There has been no stability in the club. No coach has been given sufficient time to develop his strategy. The transfers, as the article shows, have been a mixed blessing.

With hindsight, Kehl will be blamed as much for the players he did not sign as those he did, including the failure to sign Renato Veiga in the 2024 summer transfer window. The lack of depth was viewed as a failure in squad planning. His failure to replace Doyell Malen which left the side without an adequate player for the left wing, and most notoriously the failed, despite the interest from the player, to secure Rayan Cherki with Olympique Lyon’s chairman John Textor referring to BVB’s offer, reported to be in the mid twenty millions as: “disrespectful” and “considerably below market value”.

The Sporting Director also earned a reputation for being unable to successfully manage conflict. In particular with reported differences with Sven Mislintat and increasingly misunderstandings with Lars Ricken of late surfacing.

Did Kehl get the budget?

The answer is yes, and no, the 2005 brush with bankruptcy has made BVB one of the most financially conservatively-run clubs. After getting €77m, BVB has managed to turn a profit in all of the last four seasons. BVB’s strength lies in the depth of talent scouting and development, and the sporting director has been in a position to spend €482m with €445m in return, leaving an overall minus balance of €37m, on balance with a return on investment of around 12% Kehl’s work is still good against the average but pails into comparison with Michael Zorc who achieved regular returns of over 20%.

Ultimately, some of the blame has to also be attributed to Managing Director Lars Ricken; how much only time will tell, the former Striker, at this stage at least, has more equity with the club’s top brass.

Kehl has done sound work under difficult circumstances, but he is no Michael Zorc; stability without vision is not enough for a club like Borussia Dortmund, and that is what the former Germany international has been unable to implement, and that has proven fatal.

BVB’s loss could be Sebastian Kehl’s win

A season without silverware is never going to be acceptable to the majority of BVB fans, and there will be big changes in the months ahead, as to whether midfielder maestro Julian Brandt, who broke the magical 300 apperances mark in Saturday’s 3-2 over Hamburg, can be persuaded to stay after the departure of the Sporting director, as many fans hope, remains unresolved. In the meantime, there has been reported interest in Sebastian Kehl from both Hamburger SV and Arsenal. The club’s achievements, especially in European competition, have not gone unnoticed.

Overall the Sebastian Kehl era at the club includes his outstanding contribution as a central player in one of the club’s greatest eras under Jurgen Klopp in which the side won the double, the title and reached the Champions League final between 2009-13, and Hans-Joachim Watzke thanked the departing former club captain: “As President of Borussia Dortmund I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Sebastian Kehl, both personally and on behalf of all our members. When I took over as CEO in 2005, Sebastian had already won his first Bundesliga title with BVB. Together, we have since celebrated great successes and endured some painful disappointments over the course of more than 20 years. Sebastian already has a firm place in the annals of the club. I wish him all the very best for his personal future and every success in his future career.”

What’s next for the 8-time Deutsche Meister?

BVB have already started to build for 26-27 with signings including goalkeeper Diant Ramaj, who is on loan at relegation-threatened Heidenheim, centre-back Luca Regianni from the U19s, Kaua Prates from Brazilian club Cruzeiro, and attacking midfielder Justin Lerma from Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle.

Svenja Schlenker, Head of Women’s Football, has also been promoted to the board of directors. The appointment of the new Sporting Director, Ole Book, who is reported by Ruhr Nachrichten, Dortmund’s local newspaper and official media partner, to be bringing David Blacha, the head of Eleversberg’s highly successful scouting and professional football department, shows the determination the fans want to see from a club which has stalled in recent seasons. But the competition never sleeps, and as ever, a lot depends on what happens at the Allianz Arena.