Dortmund’s new football brain: How Ole Book built two formidable squads

Ole Book has not forgotten his long-time club. After Borussia Dortmund’s 3-2 win at Hoffenheim, the club’s squad architect said he would briefly check how Elversberg had played, then celebrate again. Both teams had six points and, unexpectedly, stood above serial Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

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After our victory, I take a quick look at how Elversberg played. Then I am happy too.

On Tuesday evening, Book will not need to check his phone. Dortmund will open its Champions League campaign at home against Spanish club Villarreal, while SV Elversberg, despite its two surprise league victories, has not reached Europe’s top club competition.

Five and a half months after taking the job, Book is heading into his debut in the Champions League and has become the quiet hero of Dortmund’s summer. Coach Niko Kovac praised their intense cooperation and said Book had worked around the clock during the transfer period. Kovac suggested his sporting director should now take some time off.

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It was a really good cooperation. Twenty-four-seven, I do not even know whether he took a single day off.

Book said he was relieved that the transfer phase, shaped by the arrivals of 18-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas, 23-year-old Giannis Konstantelias and 27-year-old midfield organizer Joey Veerman, had ended. He was not yet thinking about a holiday. With matches every three days, he said, he was looking forward to the schedule, although he acknowledged that he would have somewhat more free time in the coming weeks.

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Now we have a game every three days, and I am really looking forward to that too.

Book also helped build the Elversberg squad during nearly nine years at the club, from 2017 until March 2026. Players he recruited helped the promoted side stun Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach in succession. Dortmund’s decision-makers, led by managing director Lars Ricken, have so far had no reason to regret appointing him to succeed Sebastian Kehl. After Konstantelias suffered a cruciate ligament injury, Book and Ricken moved quickly to loan Arsenal prospect Ethan Nwaneri, who helped create the decisive 3-2 goal at Hoffenheim.

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I was sure that Elversberg could surprise one or two teams because they have repeatedly impressed with attacking football in recent years. I did not expect it to happen twice in a row right at the start of the season.