Bundesliga football club Borussia Dortmund has announced that Lars Ricken will be taking over as Managing Director of Sports, assuming some of the responsibilities previously held by Hans-Joachim Watzke. The 47-year-old former German international will begin his new role on May 1st and will have a contract until June 30th, 2027. Alongside Ricken, Sven Mislintat will also be involved in the new sporting leadership, focusing on squad planning, while Sebastian Kehl remains sports director.

Ricken has most recently served as the director of the youth performance center in Dortmund. Watzke, CEO of BVB, expressed his satisfaction with Ricken taking on the new position, stating that he believes Borussia Dortmund will continue to have a strong professional position with Ricken, along with managing directors Thomas Treß and Carsten Cramer. Treß and Cramer have extended their contracts until June 30, 2027. Watzke will be leaving management at his own request at the end of 2025 but will continue to oversee the business and corporate areas of human resources, communications, and strategy until then.