A fresh challenge awaits for BVB. - Ricken is now the head of Dortmund's elephant department.
After just 15 days in his new position, Lars Ricken (47) made his debut as the latest addition to the Signal-Iduna-Park's management team. Flanked by Hans-Joachim Watzke (64) and President Dr. Reinhold Lunow (70) on the stage, he was officially introduced as the new Sport Manager.
Ricken takes on another crucial role at BVB - he is now in charge of what's commonly known as the 'Elephants' Round Table'. Watzke, who is still in charge, made it very clear that Ricken will be making the big decisions for the professional team from this moment onwards: "I'm done with that. If he wants my input, I might pop by as a guest but I'll have to ask his permission first."
The Elephants' Round Table includes Matthias Sammer, Sebastian Kehl, Edin Terzic, Sven Mislintat - making Ricken the fifth member of this influential group.
Watzke further clarified his stance: "I didn't start this journey to hang around and try to pull strings. That's not going to happen." However, he added that Lars is more than welcome to ask for his opinion if needed.
When his turn came to address the audience, Ricken thanked his colleagues at the youth training center before sharing his sentiments: "A few weeks ago, Aki asked me if I was up for this responsibility. It didn't take me long to decide. I've been longing for a challenge like this!"
Schmidt revealed that he'd already earmarked Ricken for a future managerial role back in the distant past: "We've had talks about this for the last four or five years." President Lunow added his support for Ricken by confirming his impressive performance during his presentation to the executive committee: "Lars blew us all away with his ideas."
There are currently no discussions about extending Edin Terzic's (41) contract, which runs until 2025. Ricken spoke highly of the coach, acknowledging their close bond and Terzic's commitment to the club: "Edin and I have a unique relationship. He climbed all the rungs of responsibility here and has always maintained that it's not about him personally - he wants to lead the team to victory."
Ricken, a lifelong Dortmund fan who first visited the Signal Iduna Park when he was just five years old, ended his speech with a bold statement: "I'm ready to represent these colors with all my might. If we come under attack, I'll be the one rallying the troops behind black and yellow."
Lars Ricken, the new 'elephant boss' of Borussia Dortmund, is excited to take on his role and guide the team to success.
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Source: symclub.org
