Borussia Dortmund “make a big cut”
Matthäus recommends that BVB separate Hummels and Reus
As of: 11:48 a.m. | Reading time: 3 minutes
Dortmund veterans: Hummels has been playing for BVB since 2008, with interruptions (2016-2019), Reus (right) since 2012
Quelle: picture alliance/firo Sportphoto/Ralf Ibing
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From Lothar Matthäus’ perspective, Borussia Dortmund’s once again sobering season must have consequences. The record national player recommends a major change for BVB and doesn’t stop at big names. The emotional world should not play a role.
If you trust Lothar Matthäus’ diagnosis, then the Borussia Dortmund team “carries a virus”. Be careful, there is a risk of infection within the team. In any case, Matthäus states in his Sky column that “something is wrong” with the BVB team. The suspicion was recently confirmed once again in the 2-3 home defeat against the eleven from Hoffenheim, who had not won eight games up to that point.
Dortmund were a self-proclaimed title candidate, but over the course of the season they were downgraded to Champions League contenders and there was no other option. But because analysts themselves have doubts about the price target, good advice is now expensive as to what to do with the team: hold or sell?
In any case, Matthäus comes to the conclusion that BVB “performs football-wise well below the expectations that one can have of this team”. And he also expresses criticism of the hapless coach Edin Terzic, without mentioning his name: “As a coach, I can’t say: ‘I actually expected more from the team.’ When I have a squad, I know what I’m getting into and that I will be measured by performances and results with that squad.”
He assumes that Terzic was involved in putting together the squad. Many players “who were brought in over the last 18 months have not lived up to expectations. This creates a quality problem. You can’t expect Jadon Sancho to burn down the Dortmund stadium after his long break.”
Hummels and Reus’ BVB contracts end in the summer
Because everything in Dortmund has turned out so badly and will most likely result in another season without a title, Matthäus recommends making “a big cut”. “After that,” said the 62-year-old record national player, “Mats Hummels and Marco Reus should no longer play a role, even if these players have made great contributions to the club. Even if I still see Mats Hummels as one of the best central defenders, if I make a change, then I have to complete it and not take the emotional world into account.” The contracts of Hummels, 35 years old, and Marco Reus, also 35 years old after the season, expire in the summer.
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Matthäus apparently sees the possibly not so smooth agreement between the coach and the management level around sports director Sebastian Kehl regarding transfers for this season as the reason why things in Dortmund are not going as well as they would like in the executive suite. Perhaps, Matthäus mused, “Terzic would have liked to have one or two more players. It is important that someone in the club who has football expertise coordinates with the coach on which positions and in what way you will strengthen yourself. And that hasn’t worked at Dortmund in the last year and a half.” You don’t have to “turn over the stones” when there is no other option. Why don’t you turn them over first if the performance isn’t right?”
Dortmund is 20 points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen and twelve points behind second-place FC Bayern. Even VfB Stuttgart is six points ahead of BVB in third place. On Saturday (3:30 p.m., in the WELT sports ticker) the team has to compete against Union Berlin. Since Nenad Bjelica has been coaching Union, the Berliners have had four wins and one draw from five home games.
