Borussia Dortmund sporting director Ole Book: 'This is a special club for me'
After arriving at the club from Bundesliga 2 side Elversberg, Borussia Dortmund’s new sporting director Ole Book sat down to discuss clubs past and present, his football upbringing and BVB’s future aims.
Bundesliga: How have the first few games been for you?
Ole Book: “The first time with a real atmosphere was this weekend. Unfortunately, at the first home game there was the medical emergency, which was tragic, with a very subdued atmosphere and then also a negative result. That did not yet feel like Borussia Dortmund as I had experienced it from the stands.
"This weekend was much nicer. It was a very positive experience. On the other hand, we also know how to assess it. We were happy, and it was a good feeling. UEFA Champions League qualification was good, and it was a convincing win. But we also assess it realistically and know we still have to keep working.”
Bundesliga: Was it a dream for you to end up in the Bundesliga?
Book: “Yes, it was absolutely a goal to work in the Bundesliga. Of course, when you do good work over years, maybe also as a club, as a team, and then personally as well, and you are successful, then it also became a realistic goal to do it that way.
"So yes, definitely. Earlier, of course, more as a player. Back then it was perhaps even more of a dream. Now, when you are a bit more mature, it is still a goal.”
Bundesliga: How did this famous release clause specifically for BVB come about?
Book: “In the end, it came from my conviction that this is a club where I would not want contractual matters to prevent me from taking that step. That was always communicated openly, including in Elversberg.
"My confidant, the president, knew exactly what the situation would be if Dortmund got in touch. Because this is a special club for me, there was also this special clause for it.”
Bundesliga: To what extent does the work differ from the job in Elversberg?
Book: “There are details, of course, that are different. There are more people, more departments, absolutely, but the core business is not a very different.”
Bundesliga: I wondered whether you can even say yet, but which is actually more difficult?
Book: “We will see. I can‘t judge that yet. At the end of the day, in Elversberg it was also a long process to put everything together so that every cog fitted correctly and we were very, very successful over many years. It was not all completely smooth from the first day.
Watch: Ole Book's summer to-do list at Dortmund
"Here, there are certainly more employees and the structures are somewhat different. But at the beginning, you always have to work your way in a little. At my previous club, especially at the start when I arrived, a lot still had to be implemented by me. Now it is more about getting to know the structures and processes, but I had already become more and more familiar with that over the last few years.”
Bundesliga: To what extent does a World Cup make the upcoming transfer window more difficult?
Book: “Of course it shifts a lot of things back again, but when you are at Dortmund, you know that every two years you have a tournament ahead of you, where fortunately many players usually qualify.
"I should get used to that for the next few years. Of course, we did not have that problem in recent years, but these are just small new technical and sporting topics in a job that is generally familiar.”
Bundesliga: Lars Ricken obviously has a say here. Matthias Sammer will also have a say. What is it like to discuss things with them?
Book: “Great. From day one, really. I have much closer contact with Lars, of course, but I have also met Matthias a few times and spoken to him on the phone several times. It is very inspiring and stimulating.
"There are sometimes different approaches, but I also believe that we can push each other a bit and help each other develop. Especially with Lars, in the few weeks we have had together, I think we have already built a strong relationship of trust. I am very much looking forward to the next few years.”
Bundesliga: Dortmund have a history of signing players who later go on to achieve great things. But now there are things like multi-club ownership, for example, which did not exist in the same way a few years ago. To what extent does that make signing those players more difficult?
Book: “The structures and market conditions do make it a bit more difficult, I would say. That was my impression from the outside, and that is also my feeling now.
"At the end of the day, we will try to work very, very precisely, well and diligently, because if something becomes more difficult, that does not mean it is impossible. At the end of the day, it is always about the team fitting together optimally and us being successful together as a team.
"Whether we manage to get these really spectacular players, like an Erling Haaland at that point in time, we will see. I think that at the time when he moved to Dortmund, he would no longer be on the market for us today. You have to say that honestly. Then maybe we have to find new niches again, new areas where we can perhaps be a little quicker. These are simply tasks we will face and do our best with. I do believe that, whether it is that category or not, we can still get very exciting players in the near future.”
Watch: A very different Dortmund
Bundesliga: How do you see Dortmund’s style of play, and what do you envisage for next season in terms of the the style of play also the squad? What ideas do you want to bring in?
Book: “I think it is always very important to orient yourself around what you have and that is a very, very stable foundation. We’ve had an extremely successful Bundesliga season and we have a very high points average. That is something that really distinguishes us this year.
"I firmly believe that we will build on that while also developing the elements we all see where there is perhaps still a bit of room for improvement. Maybe we can add a little more creativity and optimise the composition of the attacking play a bit. We now have time for that in the transfer market. The coaching staff also has time now, and then in the summer, to prepare well."
Bundesliga: How is your relationship with Niko Kovač?
Book: “Great. Very good. We have a very close relationship. We talk a lot every day, naturally see each other at training, usually already at breakfast, and often speak on the phone in between and on days off. We really try to have a close exchange. There is no other way. We all have to see ourselves as a team.”
Bundesliga: Samuele Inácio, Luca Reggiani and Filippo Mané all made their debuts for Borussia Dortmund this season. Now Mathis Albert, at 16, has also made his debut. How do you see these players, and how do you see the fact that three players aged 18 or younger were able to represent a club like BVB?
Book: “First of all, it is very pleasing. Especially the last home game, with the clear win, a starting debut and a Bundesliga debut was very positive and really gave the whole stadium another boost of energy.
"I think that did all of us good. On the other hand, I strongly warn against raising expectations too high. The boys will still need time. Hopefully not, but it may also be that they experience one or two setbacks, or that there is a period when their form is not quite there. We should not put too much responsibility or too much pressure on them.”
