Stuttgart this afternoon confirm that they have parted ways with sporting director Sven Mislintat after they were unable to reach an agreement over a new contract beyond 2023.
“Sven has decided not to accept our contract offer, which we regret,” said VfB CEO Alexander Wehrle. “Ending the negotiations now is a mutual decision made by everyone involved, but it doesn’t change our mutual appreciation for one another.
“Sven Mislintat was part of our team for three and a half years and has always been passionately committed to VfB. We owe him our thanks and our respect for his efforts. Sven Mislintat will always be welcome in Stuttgart and at VfB.”
Mislintat is regarded as one of the best talent scouts in Germany. During his time at Borussia Dortmund, Mislintat was key in finding Shinji Kagawa, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembele. At Stuttgart, he recruited Sasa Kalajdžić, Silas Mvumpa, Gregor Kobel and Wataru Endo.
Speaking on his departure, Mislintat added: “During our discussions, we failed to find common ground to continue my work at VfB. I regret that very much because VfB has become a real labour of love for me in recent years and I’d have liked to continue to play my part in the positive development of this great club.
“I’ll never forget my time in Stuttgart – emotional highlights like our promotion or the last-minute victory on the final day of last season will stay with me forever. I thank everyone who accompanied and supported me on my journey, and wish the team and the great fans all the best.”
Negotiations between Mislintat and Stuttgart had been ongoing for some time but now the separation is confirmed, expect to see VfB move quickly to appoint a new head coach.
But what next for Mislintat? After leaving Borussia Dortmund in 2017, Mislintat took on the role of chief scout at Arsenal. During his time at the Premier League club, he helped recruit the likes of Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Sokratis, as well as Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi. Could a return to BVB be on the cards?
GGFN | Daniel Pinder
