‘I’m a coach, not scout’ - Ghana's Addo on Borussia Dortmund role

Ghana coach Otto Addo has clarified his role with Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, saying he shapes the careers of young players before they make the step up to the first team and it does not include scouting.

Addo, who joined Dortmund in 2019, has been referred to as a scout and coach during his spell at the club but he insists scouting is a role he last handled in 2014.

“First of all, I am not a scout, I am a coach,” Addo said as quoted by Football Ghana.

“I did scouting in 2014 for the Ghana national team. I joined the national team because I live in Germany so I did the scouting in 2014. After that, I never scouted again so I am working as assistant; more of top talent coach in charge, especially of the young players at Borussia Dortmund,” he added.

“I guide them, I coach them on positional training and I assist the coach during the training during the week, I guide the young players when they go down, especially [when] they don’t play in the first team.”

Addo, who is reportedly set to sign a new three-year contract at Dortmund, guided the Black Stars to World Cup qualification in March after taking over from Milovan Rajevac who was sacked following Ghana’s early elimination from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

The 47-year-old has been combining the role with his Dortmund duties and is set to lead Ghana to the global tournament in Qatar.

At Dortmund, he has worked with a number of top young talents including Youssoufa Moukoko and new Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.

“I guide them, I analyse their games and I talk about the games with the young players. That’s very important for us; for Borussia Dortmund to develop their players. They get special feedback from me. I decide which young player will come up to the first team and can train and play with the first team,” Addo further said on his Dortmund role.

In a previous interview, Addo explained the three main pillars of his work at Dortmund. He said it involves individual video analysis, in which he provides detailed feedback of each training session; transformation on the pitch, which helps players make the jump from the youth team to first team; and guidance off the field.