Dortmund sports director and ex-national player Sebastian Kehl (43) has apparently separated from his wife Tina (43). The two are said to have confirmed this to the “Bild” newspaper. “Yes, that’s right. After this long time together, we broke up by mutual agreement,” the ex-couple is quoted as saying. “Nevertheless, the two want to continue to stick together in the future, because we have three fantastic children together.”

The reasons for the separation are not given here. You also do not want to make any further statements about the surprising love off. Above all “in the interest of our children”, Sebastian and Tina Kehl therefore ask that the privacy of their family be respected.

The two had met and fallen in love when they were still at school in Fulda. The former soccer player and the trained nurse were a couple for 26 years. However, the wedding bells only rang about five years ago, first at Schloss Fasanerie in Eichenzell, and a little later again on Mallorca.

Their first child together was born in 2007, a son. Three years later, the two had another daughter. Child number three, another son, was born in October 2020.

Kehl could now donate the necessary distraction from the love-off to his “second family”, BVB. He has also been loyal to the club for over 20 years: he was a footballer there from 2002 and after retiring in 2015 finally became head of the licensed player department at Borussia Dortmund. He has been Michael Zorc’s successor as sports director there since 2022. In the first away game of the new season, coach Edin Terzić’s team (40) is up against VfL Bochum (3:30 p.m.) this Saturday (26 August).