Internal doubts: Are BVB bosses only still in charge thanks to Kovac? | OneFootball

After mixed results at the end of the year, Borussia Dortmund is once again discussing its sporting leadership behind the scenes. Apparently, Sebastian Kehl and Lars Ricken currently owe their jobs primarily to coach Niko Kovac.

Despite an overall decent first half of the season, there is not complete calm at Borussia Dortmund. As reported by Bild, the club’s management is once again debating the sporting leadership at BVB. At the center of internal doubts are Sporting CEO Lars Ricken and Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl.

According to the report, parts of the club’s top management, including President Hans-Joachim Watzke, advisor Matthias Sammer, and CEO Carsten Cramer, are no longer fully convinced that the current sporting setup is the best long-term solution for the club. The main reason for this is not so much the league position, but rather the recent inconsistent performances and several dropped points in various competitions.

While Borussia Dortmund is still on course for the Champions League, their exit from the DFB-Pokal, the draw in the Champions League against Bodö/Glimt (2:2), as well as several draws in the Bundesliga, have caused critical voices to grow louder again. According to Bild, the reason these discussions have not yet led to personnel consequences is largely due to Niko Kovac.

BVB coach Kovac protects the sporting leadership of Kehl and Ricken

The head coach took over BVB last season during a difficult sporting phase and still led the team into the Champions League—a success of great sporting and economic significance. Internally, Kovac is said to have already prevented a possible separation from Kehl and Ricken last summer.

However, the margin for error is shrinking. Should the upward sporting trend stall, support for the two officials could also wane. The last Bundesliga match before the winter break against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday (8:30 p.m.) is seen as a possible turning point. If the home winning streak ends, criticism is likely to become much sharper.

One thing is clear: as long as the results are right, the unrest remains subdued. But according to Bild, it is once again evident how fragile the personnel situation at BVB is—and that Niko Kovac currently remains the most important stabilizing factor for Kehl and Ricken.

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