Borussia Dortmund and Sven Mislintat reunited: A cause for joy or concern?
The topic of restructuring at Borussia Dortmund is one that will be affecting all departments of the club in the coming months. It all started with the news that Hans-Joachim Watzke plans to step down completely from his role as CEO of the club in 2025, which led to many ideas about what the club's hierarchy will look like once he is gone.
Despite the fact that many names have been thrown around as his successor, the plan that’s come to fruition for Dortmund is to not simply have one person take up the mantle that Watzke will leave behind, but rather divide his responsibilities among multiple individuals that can continue to implement a vision for Dortmund's future beyond his tenure.
As of this month we’ve finally begun to see the culmination of the club’s work to restructure take place, with Sebastian Kehl maintaining his position as Sporting Director and Lars Ricken moving from his position in the youth academy to the position of Head of Sport. One of the more interesting developments with regard to this restructuring has been the return of Sven Mislintat, who will be taking up the position of Squad Planner.
Mislintat has returned to the "club of his heart", with the former Arsenal, VFB Stuttgart and Ajax Sporting Director having served as Dortmund's chief scout in their most recent era of success. Called "Diamond Eye" in Germany, Mislintat has been lauded for his ability to find scintillating talent during his time in Germany, something which was evidenced by the many gems Mislintat unearthed for Dortmund.
Since his time with Dortmund came to an end however, Mislintat has had a rather turbulent journey in the world of football; a journey that has raised questions and concerns about his ability to work in partnership with a club of Dortmund's stature. It only makes sense then to take a deeper dive and fully outline the path Mislintat has walked since leaving his beloved Dortmund before he takes up the mantle of Squad Planner in May, and underscore whether we should be excited or worried about his return.