Dortmund kick off 2024 with big changes - but will they work?

The Bundesliga giants are set to make changes on the pitch, on the sidelines and even in the boardroom. But will they be enough to save their season?

Borussia Dortmund can be accused of plenty of misdemeanours this season, but one thing fans of the club can’t throw at the Westfalenstadion hierarchy is putting their feet up and doing very little during the Winterpause. Just one week into the new year, change is afoot at Germany’s second biggest club. New first team coaches have been hired, additional signings are on the cusp of joining the club and even the boardroom is set to see extensive changes. From the top to the bottom, Dortmund have fresh plans for the new year. 

Some of these changes have already taken place. While many were away celebrating Christmas, the Bundesliga side were signing off on deals to bring Nuri Sahin (previously head coach at Antalyaspor) and Sven Bender (previously coaching with the Germany U17s) back to the club to bolster Edin Terzic’s coaching staff and to help replace departing assistant coach Armin Reutershahn. 

Two former players joining the coaching staff is hardly big news, especially in a country like Germany where clubs often go to great lengths to develop retired stars into coaches. Indeed, the club have been trying to bring the pair back to the Westfalenstadion for a while now. But, despite all that, sporting director Sebastian Kehl didn’t miss an opportunity to explain why the club were making these appointments now. "We have conducted a thorough analysis of how the season has progressed so far,” noted the former defensive midfielder in a club statement. “One of our shared conclusions was that we wanted to give new impetus to the coaching staff.”