Sebastian Kehl: 'The team are aware of their responsibility'

Interview

Sebastian Kehl: "The team are aware of their responsibility"

Borussia Dortmund will host SV Werder Bremen at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK on Saturday afternoon (25 January, 15:30 CET). Ahead of the clash with the team from the north of Germany, BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl spoke to BVB-TV about the current situation, communication with the team and the short-term objectives in the Bundesliga and Champions League.

You made the decision to dismiss the coaching team centred around Nuri Sahin. You have spoken about the reasons. How did Nuri react to the decision?
"Of course he was sad, he was disappointed. But he was also clear and showed great understanding for the situation. He took it very professionally, because in the end he was of course aware of the situation and the club is close to his heart. Nevertheless, we had very, very good communication with him over the last few days, even after the Frankfurt game. We knew what situation we were in as a club. And in the end, he also knows that as head coach, he and his coaching team bear the responsibility. But the way we did it at the end, the way we had the talks together after the game, in the team hotel, the way we communicated with the team, the way he conveyed it to the team - it was very dignified."

How emotional was the decision?
"Nuri and his coaching team have tried to do everything they can in recent weeks to get Borussia Dortmund back on track. And then when you have such a negative run of four straight defeats this year, it becomes a real burden. You could tell that he was affected emotionally, but of course he's also been around long enough to understand the situation. And there was also a really good reaction from the team. I think the lads realise the situation we're in now and that they naturally also have a responsibility."

What has the dialogue with the team been like in recent days? How did the players react to the decision?
"It was that evening in the team hotel. Nuri chose the words, then we spoke to the team again. Lars did that, I did that. Of course, that wasn't the plan. Of course, they took it on board and are aware of their responsibility. We tried to prepare the team as quickly as possible immediately afterwards for what awaits us at the weekend. We don't need to emphasise the situation we're in and that we absolutely need to win. Nothing has changed in this situation. That's why we're having lots of one-to-one talks and group discussions and that will also be the aim: to prepare the team optimally for Saturday with our interim coach Mike Tullberg."

Mike Tullberg has been our U19 coach since 2020, having previously coached the U23s for a year. What do you expect from him?
"I think a lot of stories have already been written about Mike at this club. He's incredibly committed, has already been in a number of different roles at this club and is passionate about this job. When we spoke to him on the phone after the game, you could tell that he would give everything for this task, for this moment and ultimately for the club. And he has done that in the past. He is a very emotional person, a very passionate person who lives and breathes football and will do everything he can to ensure we are successful at the weekend. And yet he is aware of his role. The way he spoke to the team this morning was very, very good. It was very clear, it was human. Nevertheless, he now wants to do everything he can to bring a little bit of lightness, a little bit of joy and fun back into everyday life - even if that's difficult at the moment, of course."

How can you influence the team in such a short space of time?
"We can have individual discussions, but we've also done that in recent weeks. In the end, we try to prepare the team together for the game this Saturday, both tactically and technically. These are the tasks that the coaching team and the staff take on. I believe that everyone who will be in the stadium on Saturday expects everything from this team, that they give their all, that they are completely committed to the club in this situation and that they show the right attitude, the right willingness. I believe we then have every chance of winning this home game. We've talked a lot in the last few weeks, there's also been a lot of discussion. There's enough to talk about at the moment. I think we should contribute to doing the right things on the pitch, especially now on Saturday, and have a sense of achievement again. I think that's the crucial thing for the club in the current situation to help us get back on track."

Werder Bremen, our opponents on Saturday, are one place ahead of us, but have not made a good start to the 2025 calendar year either, having only picked up one point. What kind of team are you expecting?
"Bremen didn't necessarily go through a perfect phase in January and are now coming to Dortmund. Of course, they'll fancy their chances of picking up something here in this situation. But in the end, it won't matter which opposition we face on Saturday. We have to have the right attitude, we have to have the right intensity. We will want to play courageously, we will try to take on this task with intensity on Saturday. And then it doesn't matter who is in the starting line-up. I expect that we will all try to work towards this goal together, that we are aware of this task. And that's why we're not worrying so much about Werder Bremen, we're mainly trying to focus on ourselves and not do too many crazy things, but rather concentrate on the individual basics. That's also been our task in the last few days, but we have to do that better and I honestly have high hopes that it will work on Saturday."

What are the short-term goals for the Bundesliga and Champions League?
"The short-term objective is to win this game on Saturday and that's the crucial thing, nothing else matters at the moment. Of course we have issues, of course we are also dealing with the coaching issue. It's our responsibility to move forward in the next few days. But for now, it's about getting three important points on Saturday to improve our position in the Bundesliga table and to regain a little bit of self-confidence. But it can only be the first step and we know that we also need three important points in the game at home against Donetsk in the Champions League afterwards. So all we need to do is concentrate on our duties from game to game. Nothing else makes sense."