Bundesliga
“Lars can handle it” – a lot of credit for new BVB boss Ricken
Lars Ricken will become Managing Director of Sports at Borussia Dortmund from May 1st, taking over part of Hans-Joachim Watzke’s previous tasks. photo
© Revierfoto/dpa
A new era begins at BVB in May. With Lars Ricken taking office, the long Watzke era is slowly but surely coming to an end. The new boss has to cope with upheaval.
There can really be no talk of a leisurely start as the new sports director. If When Lars Ricken takes over from long-standing club power Hans-Joachim Watzke on May 1st, there is an exceptional mood in Dortmund.
Finally, the fifth-place team in the Bundesliga will play in a Champions League semi-final for the first time in eleven years on Wednesday evening (9 p.m.) and wants to get one step closer to the dream final at Wembley with a victory in the first leg over Paris Saint-Germain. Ricken’s start to the new position, which was accompanied by a lot of limelight, fits the demanding requirements profile. After all, there is plenty to do for the club icon in the coming weeks.
The 1997 Champions League hero, who paved the way to the greatest triumph in BVB’s history with his goal in the final to make it 3-1 over Juventus Turin, is still holding back from making public statements. Instead, others talk about his promotion from youth coordinator to sports director and about the return of the former talent scout Sven Mislintat – and they are unanimously positive. “I have a history with Lars and Sven and I value them both very much. They have done a top job here,” said coach Edin Terzic, who previously looked after U teams under Ricken’s direction.
“It’s worth a try”
His former teammate Karl-Heinz Riedle, who scored twice on the magical final night in Munich in 1997, also believes Ricken can make the move to the executive chair: “It was a surprise for many because he has never held such a position before . But it’s definitely worth a try,” commented Riedle on ran.de. “It’s certainly not an easy task to do it after Aki Watzke. But I think Lars can handle it.”
Ricken fits the club’s slogan “Real Love” like no other. Since moving from Eintracht Dortmund to BVB in 1990, the 47-year-old, who was once celebrated as a child prodigy and “Lars from Mars” by the tabloid media, has not played or worked for any other club. However, this stable smell was not the only reason why he was chosen. Watzke, who will be leaving the management in autumn 2025, values not only the diplomatic skills but also the decision-making power of the Dortmund native.
Upheaval is imminent after defeat
These properties will be in demand in the coming months. The 4-1 defeat in Leipzig on the last Bundesliga match day made it clear once again that the team needs a comprehensive change. The commitment of Mislintat as technical director responsible for squad planning suggests that BVB wants to focus more on the discovery and development of talent. There is currently much to suggest that the new management team will continue to rely on coach Terzic. It also seems likely that Matthias Sammer will remain as a club advisor. Ricken and he maintain a good relationship as former roommates at BVB away games.
Further construction sites make the work of the new BVB boss even more difficult. Discussions will be held in the summer about extending Sebastian Kehl’s contract, which runs until 2025. The sports director was considered Watzke’s successor for a long time and just a few weeks ago described it as a “logical step” for him. The fact that Kehl was denied promotion and that a squad planner, Mislintat, was also assigned to him indicates limited trust in the work of the former BVB professional.
Kehl wants to stay
Kehl made no secret of his disappointment in a Sky interview before the Leipzig game, but signaled his willingness to stay. “Lars is a real Borussian. We’ve known each other for a long time, played football together and worked together very trustingly over the last few years,” he said, “hopefully it will be a lot of fun.” Kehl is apparently not thinking about changing clubs. “That doesn’t really matter to me at the moment,” said the 44-year-old, who succeeded Michael Zorc as sports director at BVB in July 2022. “I’m having far too much fun with this task, we currently have far too great goals.”