JULIAN BRANDT (29) was the scorer of the first goal in Borussia Dortmund’s 2:0 win against Hoffenheim. The German Bild writes that he played a key role in the victory, but also that the 29-year-old surprised with a statement in which he openly criticized the style of play under the leadership of Croatian coach Nike Kovač.
Although he was pleased with the victory, Brandt made no secret of his displeasure with the way the team achieved it. After the match, in which he made his 284th appearance for the club and thus tied with BVB legend Stephane Chapuisat, he was very direct.
“To be honest, that’s not my way of playing football. Football is played, not run,” he said after the game, which he tried to soften a day later: “With that statement, I explicitly meant the game against Hoffenheim, not our football in general. The coach knows that.”
Successful, but not pretty
Brandt’s words can be interpreted as a subtle criticism of Kovač’s (54) system. Under his leadership, BVB became one of the most physically fit teams in the league, with a solid defense that conceded only eleven goals in 13 rounds. Only Bayern (9) received less.
The forward play seems to lack the creativity and “fine touch” that Brandt is used to. Borussia lacks convincing wins with a lot of goals. Commenting on that, Brandt calms down: “At this stage, only points count.”
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Despite the criticism, his statements should not be interpreted as a sign that he is planning to leave, writes Bild. The former Leverkusen player’s contract expires in the summer, but talks about continuing cooperation are planned.
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