Dortmund says goodbye to sporting director Kehl

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl has ended his tenure «by mutual consent», the club said in a statement released on Sunday.

Lars Ricken, Dortmund’s board member for sport – a position above Kehl’s in the hierarchy – said the decision came after a «very open discussion».

«(We) came to the shared conclusion that summer is the right time for changes. To give both parties the opportunity to prepare, we mutually agreed to immediately terminate Sebastian’s contract,» Ricken said in a statement.

After retiring in 2015, Kehl joined the club in a player management role before taking over as sporting director in 2022.

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“Sebastian has made an enormous contribution to our club and we are very grateful for his great efforts,” said Ricken.

Under Kehl, 46, Dortmund has gradually moved away from a model of signing and selling younger talents to bringing in established players, with mixed results.

Without a trophy during Kehl’s tenure, only a final-day collapse stopped Dortmund from winning the 2022/23 Bundesliga and the club reaching the Champions League final a season later, against Real Madrid.

Kehl hinted that his departure was part of a wider restructuring of the football operations.

Published on March 22, 2026