Borussia Dortmund’s reported request to spare 18-year-old midfielder Konstantinos Karetsas from heavy minutes with the Greek national team sparked a direct rebuttal from head coach Ivan Jovanovic ahead of Sunday’s UEFA Nations League fixture in Thessaloniki. While German outlets reported that BVB officials reached out to the Hellenic Football Federation to manage the teenager’s physical load following recent health concerns, Jovanovic dismissed any notion of special treatment for club interests on the eve of the match.
Ivan Jovanovic Rejects Special Treatment Claims
Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of the clash at the Toumba Stadium, Jovanovic addressed widespread media reports regarding the Bundesliga club’s approach. According to Sky Sport, Dortmund management initiated contact with the Greek federation to request a measured workload for the attacking midfielder. However, n-tv.de reported that Jovanovic explicitly rejected the premise of an official request, stating that no such plea had been made.
Seit ich hier Nationaltrainer bin, hat es noch keinen Verein in Europa gegeben, der einen besonderen Umgang von uns gefordert hat. Solange ich Coach bin, wird es auch keine Ausnahme geben,
Jovanovic told reporters, emphasizing that while routine communication exists between national team staffs and European clubs, no side receives preferential handling under his tenure. The 64-year-old described the dialogue with clubs, including Dortmund, as positive and noted that national coaches are in regular contact with teams.
Heavy Workload Strains Young Playmaker
The debate over Karetsas stems from his heavy utilization during the compressed international window. The 18-year-old accumulated 247 minutes across three starts in the group stage against Serbia (2:1), Germany (1:0), and the Netherlands (2:2), including a full 90-minute shift during Greece’s 1-0 victory over Germany in Augsburg. With a market value of 35 million euros, the playmaker shares the status of Greece’s joint-most valuable player alongside Benfica forward Vangelis Pavlidis, who received a 7 million euro upgrade in the Liga Portugal market value update. Arsenal player Christos Tzolis will be missing for the DFB team. For the BVB, Karetsas has made six appearances this season, four of them in the starting lineup, alongside his three appearances for Greece.
Borussia Dortmund’s caution is compounded by the player’s recent medical history. During a UEFA Champions League fixture against Villarreal in September, Karetsas collapsed on the pitch and was substituted in the first half. Although initial club statements cited circulatory issues, his mother told the Belgian daily newspaper Het Nieuwsblad
of dehydration, which BVB’s Ricken disputed after numerous tests were completed. He returned to action eleven days later in a 1-0 win against VfB Stuttgart.
Greece Seeks Quarter-Final Spot as Germany Rotates Squad
Group 2 of League A presents high stakes as Greece leads the standings with seven points, ahead of the Netherlands with five and Germany with four. A victory in Thessaloniki could secure Greece’s place in the tournament’s quarter-finals. Jovanovic noted that major footballing nations have an advantage in the new format featuring four matches within a week and a half, pointing out that Germany coach Jürgen Klopp had nominated over 40 players and almost completely rotated his squad after two games. Meanwhile, Kostas Tsimikas, Klopp’s former Greek player at Liverpool, downplayed fitness concerns by stating, Der Wille ist stärker als die Ermüdung.
Despite the competing priorities between Dortmund’s technical staff and the national team setup, local media in Greece widely anticipate that Karetsas will retain his place in the starting lineup for Sunday’s encounter.
