Nils-Ole Book becomes the new sports director at Borussia Dortmund. The 40-year-old former sports director of the second division runner-up SV Elversberg is succeeding Sebastian Kehl and is expected to receive a contract with BVB until the summer of 2029. The Bundesliga club announced this just one day after parting ways with Kehl.

“I have been following his excellent work in Elversberg for a long time, first as sports director and most recently as sports director, and I am absolutely convinced that Ole is a very good fit for us both professionally and personally,” said Dortmund’s sports director Lars Ricken, who described Book as a “dream candidate”.

Book: Emotional connection since childhood

“We have great trust in Ole and his expertise when it comes to developing creative and courageous ideas on the transfer market,” said Ricken, citing as evidence Book’s work at the Saarland village club, which he led from the regional league to the top group of the 2nd league.

The former professional from Rot Weiss Ahlen, MSV Duisburg and SV Wehen Wiesbaden went from scout to SVE sports director in 2018 and was promoted to sports director in 2023. “Although he is still young, he already has a lot of experience in the industry,” said Dortmund club boss Carsten Cramer.

The Dortmund team quickly advanced discussions with Book. An agreement in principle with the 40-year-old was leaked on Monday. The clubs then came to an agreement quickly. «Borussia Dortmund is a special club for me with an emotional connection since childhood. That’s not the only reason why I would like to thank SV Elversberg, especially Dominik Holzer, for allowing me to start my work in Dortmund straight away,” said Book, who was born in Westphalia.

Schlotterbeck extension as a central task

BVB only announced their separation from Kehl on Sunday. The decision came as a surprise at the time – even though there had been repeated criticism of Kehl in the Dortmund environment. The former national player worked as a professional footballer and official at the traditional Westphalian club for almost a quarter of a century.

Numerous tasks now await Book. One of the most important is the contract extension with national player Nico Schlotterbeck. The defender, whose contract expires in the summer of 2027, should definitely be retained and shape the Dortmund team as a long-term leading figure.

It is also important to push ahead with squad planning for the coming season. BVB is in transition. Among others, defender Niklas Süle and offensive man Julian Brandt are leaving the club. As for other potential regular players, it is unclear whether they will stay with the current second-place team.