Borussia Dortmund snap up new sporting director after 'outstanding' work following club legend's exit

Dortmund announced on Monday that Book will officially begin his role this Wednesday, signing a contract until the end of the 2028-29 season. This appointment fills the void left by Kehl, who departed the club on Sunday following a victory over Hamburg. Lars Ricken, Dortmund's managing director for sport, expressed immense satisfaction with the acquisition. Elaborating on Book's achievements, Ricken stated: "With Ole Book we have been able to bring in our desired candidate for the role of sporting director. I have been following his outstanding work at Elversberg for a long time, initially as sporting director and most recently as board member for sport, and am absolutely convinced that Ole is the right fit for us in a professional and personal sense."

The new sporting director's rise in football administration has been meteoric. After concluding his playing career in 2017, having represented Rot Weiss Ahlen, MSV Duisburg, and SV Wehen Wiesbaden, he joined Elversberg as a scout. He quickly transitioned into the sporting director position the following year and was promoted to the board in 2023. Under his guidance, the club achieved remarkable back-to-back promotions in 2022 and 2023, climbing into 2. Bundesliga. They very nearly reached the top flight in 2025, only missing out via a play-off defeat to Heidenheim. Ricken added: "With him in charge, Elversberg have made the step up to the second division, producing lots of young players along the way and creating value for the squad. We've got great trust in Ole and his expertise to find creative and courageous ideas in the transfer market."

Book inherits a challenging situation as Dortmund go into the March international break nine points adrift of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich. Furthermore, they suffered disappointing exits from both the DFB-Pokal and the Champions League.

A major squad overhaul looms this summer. The club have already confirmed that established figures like Julian Brandt and Niklas Sule will depart when their contracts expire. However, the incoming director will have a foundation to build upon, as Felix Nmecha, Luca Reggiani and captain Emre Can have all recently penned new deals to remain at the club into next season and beyond.

Taking the reins at Dortmund represents a profound homecoming for the new director, who hails from Beckum and holds a deep-rooted affection for the club. "Borussia Dortmund is one of the biggest clubs in Europe, and I am looking forward to giving my all here. I want to play my part in guiding BVB into a successful future," he stated. He expressed particular gratitude to Dominik Holzer and Elversberg for facilitating an immediate start.