Watzke withdraws: Who is leading Borussia Dortmund now?

Hans-Joachim Watzke will resign as the chairman of the Borussia Dortmund (BVB) management at the end of 2025. The 65-year-old announced this after he had already given sporting responsibility in the summer of 2024. Since then he has been less participating in the team's activities, no longer visits the training frequently and no longer stops at the team. In special cases, Lars Ricken, who has taken over the BVB Sports of Sport since May 1, 2024, communicates with the players.

Watzke has great confidence in Ricken and emphasizes its expertise and quality. The withdrawal of Watzke is to be seen as a "irrevocable and voluntary" step. Despite his decision, Watzke expressed that it was not easy for him to give up sporting responsibility, as this was always one of his greatest passions. He warned Ricken of the pressure associated with the position and noticed that it would become more lonely when you are in this role.

challenges for Lars Ricken

The sporting situation of BVB could be a special challenge for Ricken. The club has only collected ten points after six games and is currently taking seventh place in the table. Ricken, who experiences his first sporting valley as a BVB boss, sees himself confronted with the task of promoting cohesion in the team after a defeat against Union Berlin (1: 2) and a victory against Celtic Glasgow (7: 1). So far, however, he has been holding back verbally and plans to use the international break to motivate the players to maximize their performance.

In addition, Watzke did not take part in the so -called “elephant rounds” this season, which runs Ricken. In these rounds, the topics and their duration determine. Together with sports director Sebastian Kehl, Ricken was also involved in the contract negotiations with head coach Nuri Sahin, while Watzke left the room. These developments show that Ricken has now fully assumed responsibility for the club's sporting concerns and faces the challenge of mastering the first small crisis as a BVB boss, such as