Former Ajax director Sven Mislintat has been dismissed from his role at Borussia Dortmund, just three months after his appointment, Soccernet.football reports.
Reports from various German media outlets as per NLTimes suggest that the 51-year-old technical director’s tenure was marred by internal conflicts and strained relationships within the club.
According to the reports, Mislintat’s working relationship with manager Nuri Sahin deteriorated significantly, and sporting director Sebastian Kehl was reportedly unhappy with Mislintat’s unilateral transfer decisions.
Mislintat, who previously served Dortmund from 2006 to 2017 before a stint at Arsenal, found himself at odds with the club’s leadership upon his return.
Mislintat’s recent history includes a brief and controversial period at Ajax, where he was dismissed after four months amid allegations of conflicts of interest in transfer dealings.
Despite an independent investigation by KPMG that found no conclusive evidence of misconduct, the controversy overshadowed his short tenure.
Who is Sven Mislintat?
Born in Kamen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Mislintat graduated from Ruhr University Bochum and became a qualified football coach in 2011.
He began his career at Borussia Dortmund in 2006, transitioning from analyst to chief scout. During his initial tenure, he was instrumental in transforming Dortmund’s recruitment strategy, focusing on developing young talent.
His noteworthy signings included Robert Lewandowski, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Shinji Kagawa, Ousmane Dembélé, and Mats Hummels, many of whom were later sold for substantial profits.
In November 2017, Mislintat left Dortmund for Arsenal but encountered difficulties there as well. His signings at Arsenal, including Aubameyang, led to financial losses for the club, culminating in a £103 million deficit.
Mislintat returned to Germany as sporting director at VfB Stuttgart in April 2019, remaining until November 2022. He was subsequently linked to Liverpool before being appointed as Ajax’s director of football in April 2023. His time at Ajax ended abruptly in September 2023 amid the aforementioned transfer controversy.