Borussia Dortmund’s managing director Lars Ricken says the team still lacks attributes to be considered a true top team despite finishing 2025 in second place in the Bundesliga.

Borussia Dortmund is not yet a top team, according to managing director Lars Ricken. Despite finishing 2025 in second place in the Bundesliga, Ricken believes the team still has areas to improve.

Ricken told the media that Dortmund is missing a few key attributes, specifically the final determination and hunger to win tight games. “The final determination and hunger – the decisive step to win tight games – are still lacking at times,” he said.

The team’s inability to kill games off has been evident, with opponents often scoring late goals. “Too often, it’s been the opponents celebrating late points and goals,” Ricken added.

However, Ricken praised coach Niko Kovac for stabilizing the team since taking charge at the end of January. “Our goal – and I made this very clear to Niko – was to avoid being on the back foot again. We’ve achieved that and can check that off,” he explained.

Dortmund’s current second-place position in the Bundesliga is a positive sign, but Ricken is determined to hold onto it. “And of course, we don’t want to give up this second place at the end of the year. That’s obvious. Once you have it, you want to keep it,” he said.

The team’s recent win over Borussia Monchengladbach, where they secured a 2-0 victory, shows promise. Goals from Julian Brandt and Maximilian Beier secured the three points for Dortmund.