At Borussia Dortmund, Filippo Mane could become more of a focus again in the coming weeks. Following the departure of Aarón Anselmino, the hierarchy in central defense has shifted slightly, bringing the 20-year-old closer to potential opportunities. Coach Niko Kovač confirmed on Tuesday that it is definitely an option for him to give Mane more minutes in the future.
However, the start of the season was difficult for the Italian. On matchday 1, he was shown an early red card on his Bundesliga debut. “Filippo didn’t have the debut against St. Pauli that you would like,” Kovač remembered. As a result, Mane was mainly used for the second team and also gained match practice with the Italian U21 national team.
The Dortmund coach now rates these minutes in particular positively. “Training is one thing, but playing minutes are important – whether with the second team or with the U21,” he explained. Mane took advantage of these opportunities: “He has developed and you can see that young players can make a big leap in six months.”
Recognition through working time
This development was recently also reflected in the professional squad. In the game against 1. FC Union Berlin, Kovač brought on the central defender in the final minutes. “It was also a recognition of what he shows with the second team and every day in training,” said the coach. Now it’s about taking the next step and checking “to what extent we can give him more minutes.”
Despite Anselmino’s departure, the competition remains fierce. Established forces are available with Emre Can, Waldemar Anton, Niklas Süle, Ramy Bensebaini and Nico Schlotterbeck. “It’s not about young or old, it’s about quality, and he has that,” Kovač made clear.
Although Süle is currently missing due to an injury, the coach doesn’t think a replacement is necessary: ”We still have enough central defenders. I also have someone in Filippo who I have no problems using.” This gives Mane the chance to work his way further forward at BVB.
