Borussia Dortmund building towards successful 2026/27
Although the enormous success of bitter rivals Bayern Munich has at times overshadowed Borussia Dortmund’s triumphs this term, the Black-Yellows have quietly been enjoying one of their best Bundesliga campaigns whilst orchestrating a top-to-bottom rebuild in the hope of landing silverware in 2026/27.
Dortmund may be 12 points off top spot and out of the UEFA Champions League and DFB Cup, but judging the success of their campaign based off these facts alone does Die Schwarzgelben a great disservice with regards to just how good they have been this season, both on and off the pitch.
It may come as a surprise - especially after their Matchday 29 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen - but Dortmund remain on track for their second-best points return in a single Bundesliga season. Winning their remaining five league games would leave Niko Kovač's men with 79 points - just two shy of the record set in their last title-winning campaign under the legendary Jürgen Klopp in 2011/12.
Watch: A very different Dortmund
Incidentally, that Leverkusen defeat marked only the third time Dortmund have lost a league game all season - as well as the only one not to have been inflicted by rivals Bayern.
What's more, the 1-0 loss was the first time BVB have failed to score in a Bundesliga match in 2025/26, ending a run of 36 consecutive league matches with at least one goal. This meant they narrowly missed their club record of scoring in 37 consecutive Bundesliga games - by just one match.
Whilst it may appear negative, in actuality, it's indicative of just how consistent Dortmund have been this term, to which their record away from home is also a testament.
BVB are currently unbeaten in 10 consecutive away Bundesliga games (W6, D4). Only once before have they gone longer without an away defeat (15 consecutive games) - that record again being set back in their last title-winning season between September 2011 and September 2012.
As far as the history books are concerned, this season will go down as another in which Dortmund were second best to Bayern - in league position, goals scored, and goals conceded - but there is every reason for optimism that a new chapter will be written next campaign.
After all, under new sporting director Ole Book, who replaced BVB legend Sebastian Kehl in March, Dortmund will be undertaking a mammoth rebuild over the summer.
Formerly in charge at Bundesliga 2 side Elversberg, where he took the club from the fourth tier of German football to a Bundesliga promotion play-off last season, Book brings with him a well-documented history of unearthing burgeoning talents, with the likes of Nick Woltemade and Fisnik Asllani two of his most notable successes.
Watch: Book introduced as Dortmund sporting director
Speaking on his arrival, Book outlined his strategy for the future, declaring: "The most important thing is the success of the team and of Dortmund. This applies to the short, medium, and long term. I feel responsible for all perspectives and want to do justice to all of them."
Dortmund's sporting director has certainly not wasted any time in enacting his vision for the club's future. Vice-captain Nico Schlotterbeck, whose previous contract was set to expire at the end of next season, has already penned a new deal which will keep him on BVB's books until 2031.
“I’ve seen what can be achieved here, the sheer power that the club, the stadium and the city can unleash,” explained Schlotterbeck, who wants to take on more responsibility. “That’s why this is the big goal I want to achieve with BVB. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I signed my first contract almost four years ago, and that’s why I’ve signed now.”
Watch: Dortmund's in-demand rock at the back
Additionally, midfield lynchpin Felix Nmecha has also signed an extension to keep him at Signal Iduna Park until 2030, albeit putting pen to paper prior to Book's appointment.
The two players will form the spine of a new-look Dortmund going forward, together with goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who has the best save percentage of all goalkeepers (73%) and also leads the league in clean sheets (13) this term.
Watch: Nmecha talks contract extension delight
Senior figures Julian Brandt, Niklas Süle, and Salih Özcan have been allowed to leave when their contracts expire at the season's end, while Dortmund have already two confirmed new signings for next term in 18-year-old South American duo Kauã Prates, a left-back from Brazil, and Ecuadorian attacking midfielder Justin Lerma.
With an emphasis on providing a gateway for youth into the first team, Lars Ricken, the club’s managing director for sport, said: "We have fantastic players in our youth academy, but they will need the necessary time to reach their potential. It's important to have a two-pronged strategy with experienced players whom the young players can learn from and develop under."
Dortmund are also exploring the possibility of bringing English winger Jadon Sancho back to the club for the third time.
"We are seeing who can make us better, and we are doing the same with Jadon," Ricken rold SportBild in April.
Boasting 64 points after 29 matchdays, Dortmund are on their way to a 10th runners-up finish. However, with new-found consistency and defensive steel under Kovač, key contract renewals and an astute appointment in Book, the five-time Bundesliga winners are laying the foundations for what they hope will be an even better 2026/27 campaign.
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