Borussia Dortmund has started some serous reshuffling! As nearly all German media report, the new CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of the Millionaires will be Lars Ricken. While the gradual withdrawal of Hans-Joachim Watzke isn’t surprising, appointing the scorer of the iconic goal in the Champions League final against Juventus in 1997 certainly is. For months, the story has been circulating that sports director Sebastian Kehl would take over Watzke’s chair. The current supremo has been in charge continuously since 2005, just like Kehl’s predecessor Michael Zorc has been at the office 24 years (plus 20 as a Dortmund player), so when it comes to BVB, the changes are not happening soon. But in the space of three years (2022-2025) they have (and will) change two most important executives at the club.💪 #MondayMotivation ft. Lars #Ricken & @BVB! ⚫🟡🎉#UCL | @BlackYellow | @BVBjpn pic.twitter.com/zPctaB6Jd3— UEFA.com DE (@UEFAcom_de) April 22, 2024 And while Watzke’s decision to step down was public some months ago, his successor’s name is a surprise. And what’s worse for Kehl is that not only has he lost the ‘battle’ for Watzke’s chair, but he has been given an associate who will be superior to him in function (technical director of sports operations). And that’s Sven Mislintat, who returns to Westphalia after an inglorious episode at Ajax, where he was accused of conflicts of interest in the transfers of certain players. Mislintat didn’t shine at Arsenal either before that, so he’s returning to the place where he made a name for himself as a scout and head of scouting from 2006 to 2016.Legendary veteran has changed his mind and is ready to extend his BVB contractSo, this trio (Ricken, Mislintat, Kehl) will lead the sports policy of Borussia for the next three years. Matthias Zimmer, Lars Ricken’s teammate from the famous 96/97 season, remains in the position of advisor to the CEO, while Hans-Joachim Watzke will soon become the new club president. Ricken has previously worked as the coordinator of youth selections at the club, and he will be replaced by Thomas Broich from Hertha.##NAJAVA_MECA_8046099##
