When BVB competes in Bremen this Tuesday, you will see a different Dortmund team. Because every coach has his own philosophy – and the 38-year-old Edin Terzic is more emotional than Lucien Favre, who was dismissed on Sunday. And since there is not enough time to try a lot of new things, the former assistant coach will primarily coach with a high level of motivation in his first game as boss.
That has never been Favre’s forte. The 63-year-old Swiss is a football thinker. That’s also why he failed at Borussia. Even the best team has a weak phase, but then further tactical lessons or system analyzes rarely help, but appeals to the hearts of the players. The fact that the Dortmunders lacked passion and solidarity in three consecutive league games without a win became clear in the almost defenselessly accepted 5-1 defeat on Saturday against promoted Stuttgart.
One day later, BVB drew the line under a very successful time with Favre with two runner-ups. Because, as sporting director Michael Zorc said, the season’s goals are “seriously endangered.” Borussia has not officially set any targets for success. Internally, the pressure is likely to be high. Because if you had declared the championship as your goal last season, have strengthened yourself properly in the summer and start with a team that is still very talented and experienced, you will hardly lower your goals.
Favre has often criticized the excessive pressure in Dortmund. But then he was in the wrong place: The pursuit of higher things is an important driving force everywhere, consequently the number two in German football wants to attack the first. The coach’s constant reference to the young team was more of an alibi than a legitimate objection. On the one hand, Borussia has enough experienced players: Mats Hummels, Thomas Meunier, Emre Can, Axel Witsel or Marco Reus. On the other hand, as striker Erling Haaland proves, talents do not necessarily have to be introduced slowly. Jadon Sancho probably doesn’t get much better from playing breaks. Favre was also too timid when it came to the issue of load management: Constantly changing line-ups do not lead to the necessary automatisms in the game, but to defeats against Cologne or Stuttgart. The football thinker Favre always thought a little too far for the success he wanted in Dortmund.
.
