Who will succeed club boss Hans-Joachim Watzke? Will Edin Terzic remain coach? Which professionals will have to leave? There are many issues at BVB. These are not ideal conditions for the final spurt.

A soon-to-depart club boss, a coach in frequent need of explanation and a team in need of major renovation – Borussia Dortmund is currently in a state of flux. In view of the many problem areas, the fourth-placed team seems only partially prepared for the weeks of truth, which begin with the Bundesliga classic at FC Bayern on Saturday (18:30/Sky). “We now have a bumper April. That will be tough. We’ll see where we stand,” said defender Mats Hummels.

After the game against their fearsome opponents in Munich, where BVB have always come away empty-handed in their last nine league games with a goal difference of 8:37, they face a month of Champions League quarter-finals against Atlético Madrid and clashes with the Bundesliga leaders Stuttgart, Leverkusen and Leipzig. With a view to the difficult remaining program, Terzic is longing for an end to the long series of failures in Munich: “It’s just about time. Our aim is to go to Munich and finally turn the tables and leave the pitch as winners. We can only afford a few slip-ups – regardless of the strength of the opponent.”

The sporting results of the coming weeks could have a decisive influence on the future path of last year’s runners-up as the 20-year era of managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke draws to a close. If Borussia misses the minimum target of qualifying for the Champions League, Terzic must fear for his job more than ever. In addition, the financial leeway for the necessary squad restructuring would be severely restricted.

Ian Maatsen (Chelsea FC) and Jadon Sancho (Manchester United), who were signed on loan in the winter, are unlikely to be kept anyway. In addition, media reports that professionals such as Emre Can, Salih Özcan, Ramy Bensebaini, Sébastien Haller and Youssoufa Moukoko are set to leave are disrupting the focus on the end of the season. It remains to be seen whether the contracts with veterans Mats Hummels (35) and Marco Reus (34), which expire in the summer, will be extended.

There has been just as much speculation surrounding the restructuring of the club’s top management since Watzke announced his imminent retirement at the beginning of the year. The plan is for the 64-year-old to hand over overall sporting responsibility by June 30, 2024 and end his role as managing director in the fall of 2025.

Sven Mislintat about to return to BVB?

Sebastian Kehl is being touted as the new sporting director. Although his promotion is not unreservedly welcomed by all club committees, the former BVB professional recently sounded confident on Sport1-Doppelpass: “For me, it would only be a logical step.” His current position as sporting director could go to Sven Mislintat. Initial talks with the 51-year-old, who has held similar positions at VfB Stuttgart and Ajax Amsterdam, are said to have already taken place.

However, the relationship between Kehl and the former BVB chief scout (2006 to 2017) is said to be strained. Shortly before the former BVB professional was appointed sporting director in spring 2021, Watzke is also said to have negotiated with Mislintat about the position. This anecdote is fueling speculation. According to this, Mislintat could only work as a squad planner, but not as sporting director, in order to minimize frictional losses with Kehl.

It seems unlikely that there will be another all-powerful manager like Watzke at BVB in the near future. It is more likely that there will be three managing directors with equal rights, including Kehl, Carsten Cramer (sales and marketing) and Thomas Treß (finance). Cramer is the favorite for the position of spokesman.

With so many construction sites, many fans are losing faith in a successful season finale. Even the recent positive results can do little to change this: After all, the Terzic team is in second place in the current annual table after ten games behind leaders Leverkusen (28) with 23 points – four points ahead of FC Bayern. That gives the BVB coach confidence for the game on Saturday: “We’ve done a lot of things very well in the last few days. We should be able to play very courageously. And if that courage is not rewarded, we have to remain very diligent. “