Borussia Dortmund is restructuring its business and sports division. Lars Ricken will act as Managing Director of Sports from May 1, 2024 and will be responsible for the sporting area of the eight-time German champion.
The Presidential Committee of the Advisory Board of Borussia Dortmund Verwaltungs-GmbH, chaired by BVB President Dr. Reinhold Lunow has decided to expand the management by one position. The 47-year-old Ricken has been director of the youth performance center at BVB since January 1, 2021.
Ricken, who in his previous role had strategic, personnel and budgetary responsibility for BVB’s largest department, will receive a contract that runs until June 30, 2027.
Managing directors Treß and Cramer extend contracts
The managing directors Thomas Treß (Finance, Organization, Law & Investor Relations) and Carsten Cramer (Sales & Marketing, Internationalization, Digitalization) had previously extended their contracts early until June 30, 2027. Hans-Joachim Watzke, who will step down from the management at his own request at the end of 2025, will continue to be responsible for the business and corporate areas of human resources, communication and strategy until this point.
Watzke had already announced in January of this year that he wanted to hand over responsibility for the sport in the summer of 2024. The Presidential Committee has now taken this wish into account by appointing Rickens.
Dortmund boss Watzke announces farewell in autumn 2025 arrow right
“We are very pleased that Lars Ricken is taking responsibility for the sporting area within the management. He has played a significant role in ensuring that the Dortmund youth academy is by far the most successful German NLZ of the past ten years. BVB regularly celebrates with its own young talent titles, many talents managed to make it into the BVB professional squad, many of our young talents made it into the various European professional leagues and multiplied their market values. Lars Ricken’s expertise, his large network and the enormous identification with his home club, with which he also celebrated great successes as players will enrich the management,” says BVB President Dr. Reinhold Lunow.
Kehl Director Sport – Mislintat Technical Director
Ricken will be responsible for “Sport” as managing director from May 1st, while Sebastian Kehl will continue to act as director of sports. Lars Ricken is expected to begin discussions in the summer regarding a possible contract extension for Sebastian Kehl. On May 1st, Sven Mislintat (52), an expert with many years of experience and a successful BVB past, will start his work as technical director with a focus on “squad planning” and will report directly to Ricken and Kehl in his new role.
“I would like to thank the Presidential Committee and the management for their trust and the appointment as Sports Director. I am convinced that with the incredible power of this club and the passion of our many motivated employees, we will achieve great victories together and lead Borussia Dortmund into a successful future “says Lars Ricken, who will only comment on his new role in more detail during his official introduction in the days after the last Bundesliga game.
Hans-Joachim Watzke, CEO, emphasizes: “I am very pleased that Lars Ricken is taking over the position of managing director for the sporting area. I am sure that Borussia Dortmund with the managing directors Thomas Treß, Carsten Cramer and Lars Ricken will too will be in a first-class professional position in the future.”
