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Bombshell: BVB announce Sebastian Kehl’s immediate departure
Mar 22 2026 12:10 · By onefootball.com · 57 Reads
After a surprising decision, Borussia Dortmund parts ways with sporting director Sebastian Kehl with immediate effect. The long-time BVB player bids an emotional farewell after more than two decades at the club.
On Sunday, Borussia Dortmund made a surprising personnel decision: sporting director Sebastian Kehl and the club are going their separate ways. As the Bundesliga club officially announced , the decision was made amicably between the club management and the 46-year-old. The statement reads: “Borussia Dortmund and Sebastian Kehl have mutually agreed to end their collaboration.”
BVB sporting director Lars Ricken explained the background of the decision in detail: “In a very open conversation, Sebastian Kehl, Carsten Cramer, and I came to the joint conviction that summer is the right time for changes. To allow both sides to prepare, we have mutually agreed on an immediate termination of Sebastian's duties.”
Ricken also emphasized the close personal and sporting connection to Kehl: “We not only played together for Borussia Dortmund but also became German champions together in 2002. Sebastian has made enormous contributions to our club, and we are very grateful for his great commitment.”
Kehl himself looked back emotionally on his long time at BVB . “Borussia Dortmund has accompanied me for half my life, and I have an extreme connection to this great club,” he explained. Nevertheless, the right moment has now come to go separate ways: “However, we have now jointly developed the feeling that it is time to take new paths – both for BVB and for me.”
Photo: IMAGO
The former professional has been in a responsible position at BVB since 2018, initially as head of the licensed players' department before being promoted to sporting director in 2022. During this time, the club celebrated, among other achievements, the DFB-Pokal victory in 2021 and reached the Champions League final in 2024.
In his farewell, Kehl once again addressed personal words to the club and fans: “I owe a lot to Borussia Dortmund and am proud to have been part of the BVB family for around 24 years.”
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.