Tottenham looking for Director of Football options, might choose the worst one

TL;DR

Tottenham Hotspur is searching for a new Director of Football following Fabio Paratici's departure. Reports suggest Sebastian Kehl, previously of Borussia Dortmund, is a candidate, raising concerns about his suitability given Dortmund's struggles under his management.

Key points

Tottenham Hotspur seeks a new Director of Football.
Fabio Paratici left for Fiorentina after two months.
Sebastian Kehl is a candidate despite past failures at Dortmund.
Dougie Freedman is also considered for the position.
Concerns exist about Tottenham's management and future.

Mentioned in this story

Sebastian KehlFabio ParaticiDougie Freedman

Tottenham HotspurBorussia DortmundFiorentinaCrystal Palace

DORTMUND, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 1: Sebastian Kehl Sports MAnager of BVB looks on during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 at Signal Iduna Park on February 1, 2026 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Jürgen Fromme - firo sportphoto/Getty Images) | Getty Images In 2021, Borussia Dortmund hired Sebastian Kehl to serve as their Sporting Director, succeeding Michael Zorc, a massively successful figure who won several titles while in charge of the Bundesliga club. Four years later, Dortmund and Kehl made a mutual decision to part ways with Dortmund floundering under a catastrophically built and aging squad, and despite Dortmund having plenty of financial capital. Does that sound familiar? Because it should. Tottenham Hotspur are also looking for a new Director of Football after the departure of former co-Sporting Director Fabio Paratici, who bolted for Italy to rebuild Fiorentina after just two months in charge. Previous reporting had suggested that Sebastian Kehl was one of several options to serve in the role along with former Crystal Palace DoF Dougie Freedman. Nobody was particularly excited about the idea of hiring Kehl at the time. Well, I have bad news for you, courtesy of Florian Plettenberg and Sky Sports Germany. Wow. It takes a special kind of football executive to look at the tenure at someone like Kehl who served at a club that’s more or less equivalent to that of Tottenham Hotspur, look at their current squad, the past few seasons’ results, and the way he left the club, and say “I want some of that!” I also want to call attention to one particular sub-phrase in Plettenberg’s tweet — “alongside Johan Lange,” which strongly implies that not only is Lange NOT going to be fired out of a cannon into the nearest star, but instead like he could be given the opportunity to continue at the club, alongside a DoF who screwed up Dortmund in much the same way Tottenham are screwed up. It should be noted that further reporting suggests an appointment is pretty far away at the moment, but it also suggests that Dougie Freedman, currently DoF for a Saudi League club that I’m not going to bother to identify, took a look at 18th-placed Spurs and said “Yeah, hard pass.” That same reporting suggests an appointment is still pretty far away and Kehl is not necessarily a done deal, which if you’re the hopeful type you should grab onto with both hands. In theory, Kehl could be better at his job than what he showed at Dortmund, but why in the world would you trust anyone in Tottenham’s current leadership to look at Kehl’s tenure and make that determination, given what we can see with our own lying eyes? And to make that determination *and keep Johan Lange in his current job* just screams ignorance and incompetence by the Lewis kids (and the Swamp Wambsgans former Florida placekicker currently in charge). I can’t even. If this is accurate, this is not a serious club and we should not expect serious and systemic change to a system that has already broken enough that there’s a real chance Tottenham Hotspur will be playing in the Championship next season.

Q&A

Why did Tottenham Hotspur need a new Director of Football?

Tottenham Hotspur is looking for a new Director of Football after former co-Sporting Director Fabio Paratici left the club for Fiorentina.

What happened during Sebastian Kehl's tenure at Borussia Dortmund?

Sebastian Kehl's time at Borussia Dortmund ended with a mutual decision to part ways due to the club's poor performance and an aging squad.

Who are the potential candidates for Tottenham's Director of Football position?

Sebastian Kehl and Dougie Freedman have been mentioned as potential candidates for the Director of Football role at Tottenham.

What are the implications of hiring Sebastian Kehl for Tottenham's future?

Hiring Sebastian Kehl could signal a continuation of poor management practices, raising concerns about Tottenham's ability to improve their current squad and performance.