Borussia Dortmund Youth Sector is the youth set-up of Borussia Dortmund. The club's youth academy, officially known as the Nachwuchsleistungszentrum (NLZ), is based at the club's training centre in Brackel, Dortmund. It comprises teams from under-9 to under-19 level, while the under-23 team serves as the final development stage between the youth academy and professional football.
Paul Schaffran has been head of the youth academy since July 2025, with former professional footballer Thomas Broich serving as sporting director. Former academy director Lars Ricken, himself a Borussia Dortmund youth graduate and former Germany international, became the club's managing director for sport in May 2024.
The academy has produced numerous players who later established themselves in the Bundesliga and at international level, including Eike Immel, Michael Zorc, Lars Ricken, Marcel Schmelzer, Marco Reus, Mario Götze and Kevin Großkreutz. Götze and Großkreutz were members of the Germany squad that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup, with Götze scoring the winning goal in the final.
Organization Borussia Dortmund's youth academy is based at the club's training centre in Brackel, adjacent to the training facilities of the professional team. The youth development structure comprises teams from under-9 level through to the under-23 team. The academy facilities include a youth residence, the Footbonaut, fitness facilities and educational programmes intended to support the players alongside their sporting development.
Training facilities and education A youth residence was opened at the Brackel training centre in February 2014 to accommodate academy players from outside the Dortmund area. Located directly at the youth training facilities, it provides accommodation for 22 players.
The club maintains a network of educational partners to combine competitive football with schooling. Borussia Dortmund began cooperating with the Geschwister-Scholl-Gesamtschule in August 2014 and with the Goethe-Gymnasium Dortmund in 2015. Both schools became part of the DFB's Elite School of Football network in January 2017. During the 2016–17 season, the Konrad-Klepping-Berufskolleg was added as an educational partner, allowing academy players to pursue additional educational qualifications; it joined the Elite School of Football network in March 2019.
Educational and social support is provided by club staff and personnel working with the partner schools, including tutoring for academy players. Borussia Dortmund also operates its own transport service for players living in the wider region, with more than 30 drivers transporting them from school to training in Brackel and back home.
BVB Evonik Football Academy Alongside its youth academy, the club operates the BVB Evonik Football Academy, which was launched as the BVB Evonik Fußballschule in the summer of 2011. The original programme offered football camps for boys and girls aged seven to 13 at the club's former training ground Im Rabenloh.
The programme subsequently developed into the BVB Evonik Football Academy. Its current course programme is open to boys and girls aged four to 13 and ranges from introductory activities for younger children to football courses for particularly talented players. The academy also offers holiday and development programmes at locations outside Dortmund.
International partnerships Borussia Dortmund began expanding its youth development activities internationally during the 2010s. The club established partnerships and development programmes abroad through which it shared its training philosophy, coaching methods and expertise in youth development. These initiatives have included cooperation with local clubs and schools, coaching education, football camps and longer-term academy programmes.
An early example was the cooperation established in 2014 with the United States youth clubs Cincinnati United and La Roca Futbol Club. The partnerships included the exchange of training methods and coaching expertise as well as annual training camps conducted by Borussia Dortmund coaching staff.
Over the following years, Borussia Dortmund expanded these activities into a broader international network of academies and youth development partnerships. In 2023, the AMM Foundation became the club's official youth development partner in India, with the cooperation covering academy structures, player development, coach education and organisational development.
In 2024, Borussia Dortmund entered into a long-term partnership with the RIS Swiss Section – Deutschsprachige Schule Bangkok, whose existing football programme was developed into BVB International Academy Thailand. The cooperation includes a permanently based BVB coach as well as training and development programmes for players and coaches.
Further educational partnerships followed with the German European School Singapore in February 2025 and the German International School Sydney in May 2025. At the time of the Sydney agreement, Borussia Dortmund also reported existing partnerships with German schools in Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong.
In February 2026, the club launched BVB International Academy Ghana in Accra in partnership with Accra Shooting Stars FC. Based at Achimota School and offering programmes for boys and girls aged six to 18, it became Borussia Dortmund's first International Academy in Africa and a member of the club's global International Academy network.
Youth teams
Under-19 The team currently competes in the U19 DFB-Nachwuchsliga and the UEFA Youth League. It also participates in the DFB-Pokal der Junioren, the Under 19 Westphalian Cup and the Premier League International Cup. Felix Hirschnagl has been the head coach since July 2025.
Under-17 The team currently competes in the Under 17 Bundesliga and the Under 17 Westphalian Cup. Marco Lehmann has been the head coach since July 2025.
Current technical staff RoleUnder-19Under-17Head coach Felix Hirschnagl Karsten GorgesAssistant coach Julian Koch Sahin Kösecik Sandro StuppiaGoalkeeper coach Tobias Ritz Michael Strzys
Honours Under 19 championship Winners (9): 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2021–22 Runners-up (3): 2008–09, 2022–23, 2023–24
Under 17 championship Winners (8): 1983–84, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2023–24 Runners-up (7): 1998–99, 2000–01, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2015–16, 2018–19
Under 19 Bundesliga West Winners (6): 2008–09, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 Runners-up (3): 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
Under 17 Bundesliga West Winners (6): 2007–08, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19 Runners-up (6): 2006–07, 2010–11, 2016–17, 2019–20, 2022–23, 2023–24
DFB-Pokal der Junioren Runners-up (2): 2008–09, 2021–22
NRW-Ligapokal der Junioren Winners (1): 2021–22
Under 19 Westphalia Cup Winners (5): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2014–15 Runners-up (2): 2012–13, 2021–22
Under 17 Westphalia Cup Winners (5): 2006–07, 2008–09, 2013–14, 2023–24, 2025–26 Runners-up (4): 2011–12, 2012–13, 2015–16, 2017–18
International youth graduates This is a list of players who have made at least one appearance for a Borussia Dortmund youth team and have represented their country at full international level.
Name National football team NotesAugustine Ahinful GhanaMathis Albert United StatesMihail Aleksandrov BulgariaEnis Alushi KosovoEtienne Amenyido TogoViktor Angelov North MacedoniaJacob Bruun Larsen DenmarkDženis Burnić Bosnia and HerzegovinaVladimir But RussiaNnamdi Collins GermanyKerem Demirbay GermanyWinner Confederations Cup 2017Enzo Duarte LuxembourgMarvin Ducksch GermanyJeremy Dudziak TunisiaJulien Duranville BelgiumChris Führich GermanyBashiru Gambo GhanaSergio Gómez SpainDaniel Gordon JamaicaJon Gorenc Stanković SloveniaMario Götze GermanyWinner World Cup 2014Kevin Großkreutz GermanyWinner World Cup 2014Eike Immel GermanyWinner European Championship 1980; Runner-up World Cup 1982 & World Cup 1986Samuele Inácio ItalyAlexander Isak SwedenIssa Issa LebanonHelmut Kapitulski GermanyErdal Keser TurkeyAugust Lenz GermanyFilippo Mane ItalyOrel Mangala BelgiumYoussoufa Moukoko GermanyPatrick Njambe CameroonDavid Odonkor GermanyRunner-up European Championship 2008; Third-place World Cup 2006Yasin Öztekin TurkeyImmanuel Pherai SurinameChristian Pulisic United StatesWinner CONCACAF Nations League 2021, 2023, & 2024Luca Reggiani ItalyMarco Reus GermanyGiovanni Reyna United StatesWinner CONCACAF Nations League 2021, 2023, & 2024Lars Ricken GermanyRunner-up World Cup 2002Antonio Rüdiger GermanyWinner Confederations Cup 2017Nuri Şahin TurkeyKosi Saka DR CongoJadon Sancho EnglandRunner-up European Championship 2020Marcel Schmelzer GermanyIbrahim Tanko GhanaSebastian Tyrała PolandMiroslav Votava GermanyWinner European Championship 1980Michael Zorc Germany
Fritz Walter Medal First awarded in 2005, the Fritz Walter Medal is a series of annual awards given by the German Football Association to German youth footballers. The following youth graduates have won the medal.
YearCategoryMedalPlayer 2005 Under 18 Gold Marc-André Kruska 2005 Under 17 Bronze Sebastian Tyrała 2009 Under 17 Gold Mario Götze 2010 Under 18 Gold Mario Götze 2012 Under 19 Gold Antonio Rüdiger 2015 Under 17 Gold Felix Passlack 2018 Under 17 Bronze Luca Unbehaun 2021 Under 19 Silver Ansgar Knauff 2021 Under 17 Gold Youssoufa Moukoko 2023 Under 19 Gold Youssoufa Moukoko 2023 Under 17 Gold Paris Brunner
References
External links Borussia Dortmund Jugend