Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl has issued comment on the state of ongoing contract negotiations with centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck. Much has been made of a video clip widely circulated on the internet. In the now viral clip from Dortmund’s recent general meeting, Kehl appears to deliberately avoid shaking hands with Schlotterbeck during a player presentation on the stage.
Kehl addressed the purported controversy whilst speaking in the mixed zone following Dortmund’s Champions League victory last night. With a wide grin on his face, Kehl denied that the scene had any relevance. Rumors that negotiations were not proceeding well were totally dismissed.
“I was surprised and laughed a lot about it,” Kehl said. “Schlotti and I both heard [about the reactions]. The way it [the clip] looks like is a bit unfortunate, but there’s nothing really going on. Everything’s okay. There’s no problems. The negotiations are not stalling. There’s been a bunch of false interpretations.
“It’s great that we’re always generating stories to keep you guys busy,” Kehl continued with his smile continuing to stretch from ear to ear. “I already answered questions about this before the game. It’s not been so long since we talked about this.
“We are trying to create and deliver conditions that offer Schlotti an attractive environment,” Kehl went on. “Ultimately, he wants to be successful and compete for titles, which is what we all want. We also want to meet his financial expectations.
“We hope that he’ll make a positive decision [from our perspective],” Kehl concluded. “If not, we’ll prepare ourselves accordingly. I remain optimistic because this club means a lot to him.“
