Nico Schlotterbeck runs into the Dortmund stadium at the BVB season opener. The defender only has a limited talent for singing
Which: Getty Images/Christof Koepsel
Football professionals have to sing to their new colleagues for the debut. Nico Schlotterbeck performed with a scandalous song at the Borussia Dortmund team evening. And something else is special about the national player’s performance.
Et is a tradition in almost every club in the Bundesliga: to start off, the new players sing a song in front of the team. The professionals are usually allowed to choose which song they perform themselves. But even lost bets are redeemed here.
At the Borussia Dortmund team night, there was a special performance. Nico Schlotterbeck, received from SC Freiburg for 20 million euros, sang the scandal hit of the summer: “Layla”, a Ballermann song by DJ Robin and Schürze.
The song was the first Ballermann song to reach the top of the German single charts – not even music star Jürgen Drews had managed to do that in his long career – and has been criticized as sexist. There has been a debate about the song for weeks, and even politicians got involved.
The controversy has to do with the lyrics. In “Layla” a “brothel” is referred to as a “slut” and sung about as “prettier, younger, hornier”. The song was not played at several folk festivals recently, the organizers, authorities or politicians were against it.
Schlotterbeck found his performance funny – and so did his teammates. This can be seen in the video of his vocal performance. The team evening did not take place at the training camp because of the shock diagnosis of Sébastien Haller (testicular tumor), it was now made up for in a restaurant.
The BVB team laughs heartily and claps when Schlotterbeck stands in front of her and tries to sing. Because singing cannot be called his lute. A singer has not exactly been lost in him. Maybe that’s why his teammates laugh so loudly.
Dortmund striker Haller has a testicular tumor
Shock for Dortmund’s new signing Sébastien Haller: he was diagnosed with a testicle tumor at Borussia’s training camp. He immediately sought treatment.
The 22-year-old defender holds his smartphone in his hand during the performance, apparently reading the text. Like a Ballermann star, he heats up his audience with arm movements.
A special conclusion to the pre-season. This Saturday (6:30 p.m.) Borussia will start the new season with the game against Bayer Leverkusen.
