Shock in Bremen: ex-BVB chief scout Pilawa leaves after four months | OneFootball

“For personal reasons,” Markus Pilawa is leaving SV Werder Bremen. The 49-year-old former head scout of Borussia Dortmund did not stay on the Weser for long. His spell at Borussia Dortmund lasted significantly longer.

When SV Werder introduced Markus Pilawa as the new head of squad planning and transfer strategy in mid-May 2026, the club received plenty of praise for the move. With spells at BVB and Bayern Munich as head scout on his résumé, expectations for the 49-year-old were high. At the time, Werder managing director Clemens Fritz (45) stressed that he hoped the new arrival would bring “great expertise, experience, and a large network” in particular.

However, the partnership was only short-lived. Around four months after taking office, Pilawa is already leaving Bremen again. Decisive for this step by the Bochum native, who has strong roots in North Rhine-Westphalia, are personal reasons related to his family, according to kicker.

Bremen’s sporting director reacted with understanding to the sudden withdrawal. In an official club statement, he said: “Markus informed us of his decision openly. We respect it, even though we regret his departure.” Fritz also highlighted the positive influence of the squad planner, who in that short time “made an important contribution with great commitment and provided key impulses.” In his farewell, the Werder official thanked him and wished Pilawa and his family “all the very best for the future.”

A decade at BVB

Since 2004, the German-Pole has been continuously active in professional football and established a top-class scouting system, particularly during his time at Borussia Dortmund. From 2012 to 2022, he played a part in discovering and signing future world stars such as Jadon Sancho (26), Jude Bellingham (23), and Erling Haaland (26). Pilawa then moved to FC Bayern Munich for two years.

Photo: Getty Images

The 49-year-old played a major role in shaping the current Bremen squad, which has made a decent start to the season with seven points from four matches and eighth place. After Pilawa’s sudden departure, the duties at the Bundesliga club will be temporarily redistributed internally. A new head of squad planning is only expected to be appointed at a later date.

On October 9 (8:30 p.m.), Werder Bremen will be BVB’s next opponent.

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