Et would be unfair to assume that Marco Reus could have secretly quarreled with the events on the pitch that were actually very pleasing for his team on Holy Saturday. It was obvious how much fresh energy Karim Adeyemi, who had recovered from his thigh injury, gave his team in the 2-1 win against Union Berlin after he had replaced the captain, who had been ineffective in the important duels of the past few weeks, in the Dortmund team.
“He did that very well, had a lot of deep runs and kept having one-on-ones. He is a very enriching element,” said sports director Sebastian Kehl about Adeyemi. Reus missed no one and was pale again after being substituted on fifteen minutes before the end.
The captain had already acted inconspicuously during the game in the Champions League at Chelsea, in the top Bundesliga game in Munich and in the DFB Cup at RB Leipzig, all of which were lost. The past few weeks have shown very clearly that Reus no longer makes the team better in matches at the highest level.
The future belongs to others. And yet the Dortmund team will extend the contract with the almost 34-year-old star for another year in the coming days. At significantly reduced and performance-related salaries, but Reus is reported to continue to play for BVB.
“Respectful, clear and honest”
On the one hand, this is understandable, this player, who was born in Dortmund and is deeply connected to BVB, should be able to end his career with honor. But it is also becoming increasingly clear how difficult it is to moderate this player’s loss of importance. As soon as Reus sits outside, explanations are required. “I know these questions keep coming up,” said coach Edin Terzic on Saturday, explaining: “We want to get more speed down the wings, we want to get behind them. Karim is fit again and that is one of his great abilities.”
Reus’ game, on the other hand, lacks the intensity for such a style of play. From now on he should pass on his experience, serve as a role model and help to build the BVB of the future. “An important point with regard to leadership, for example, is the transfer of responsibility from the older generation to the younger ones,” Kehl said in an interview with the FAZ at the beginning of the month and promised to accompany this process “appreciatively, clearly and honestly”.
At least since the win against Union Berlin, it has been obvious that Adeyemi has surpassed Reus in the sporting hierarchy. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens is also becoming increasingly important, and even Donyell Malen has looked more alert and dangerous in the center lately. In addition, Dortmund are looking for reinforcements for the positions in which Reus plays, Frankfurt’s Daichi Kamada is considered a dream player. But perhaps the aging leader’s big dream of a championship will still come true. The gap to Bayern is small and the game plan looks quite favorable for BVB.
