Dortmund: Schlotterbeck Criticism & Kovac’s Reaction

Danger of explosion at Borussia Dortmund after Nico Schlotterbeck’s verbal all-round attack: The defense chief’s clear words and attacks on his teammates still had an impact on Thursday. The day after the 2-2 disgrace (1-1) in the Champions League against Norwegian runner-up FK Bodö/Glimt, BVB coach Niko Kovac tried to moderate the topic by showing understanding for Schlotterbeck.

“We left a huge opportunity behind. That was completely unnecessary,” said the BVB coach. “It’s completely normal that, as a leader, he is upset about the behavior.”

What Schlotterbeck complained about is, on the one hand, alarming and, on the other hand, could also lead to trouble within the team. After all, the 26-year-old addressed his teammates directly. “The players who come in lose every ball,” rumbled Schlotterbeck on the DAZN microphone. “If you come in in the 60th minute, I expect 30 minutes of full steam.”

Even though the national defender didn’t mention any names, it was easy to see that he was referring to Karim Adeyemi and, above all, Serhou Guirassy. Both were substituted in the 67th minute and were – to put it cautiously – unfortunate. For Kovac, public criticism of his teammates wasn’t a problem: “As a leader, he certainly has the right to talk about certain things.”

Guirassy’s listless performances become a problem

The BVB coach now seems to be in a quandary, especially when it comes to Guirassy’s personality. Since the Guinean was not allowed to take a penalty in the first Champions League game at Juventus Turin (4:4), Guirassy has seemed stubborn like a toddler and usually kicks listlessly. The 29-year-old has been in a form crisis for weeks, but Kovac always defended the striker, whom he called “life insurance”.

This time too, he responded reassuringly: “He’s definitely lacking a bit of self-confidence at the moment. But he’ll get back there.” It will now be exciting to see how Kovac reacts at the weekend. Will he take Fábio Silva, who played and was convincing from the start against Bodö, out of the starting line-up on Sunday in Freiburg? This could cause a lack of understanding and unrest in the team as long as Guirassy doesn’t explode and finally deliver again.

Schlotterbeck complains about his teammates and the lack of quality

Kovac’s always benevolent words after Dortmund’s recent poor performances were also counteracted by Schlotterbeck’s outburst. “We’re playing in the Champions League. That’s far too little,” complained Schlotterbeck and, when asked about the lead that was lost twice on Wednesday, rumbled: “That’s not bitter, it’s just bad.” The national player spoke of “incredibly bad first contacts” on the ball: “We always play the pass on the wrong foot.”

However, Kovac did not lose his credibility and gave his team, which he had always defended externally, a lecture in the dressing room after the game. “After the 2-2 draw and the displeasure that we all feel, I think that’s appropriate,” said sports director Sebastian Kehl, who had spoken of “having to” win the game before what he thought was an “arrogantly” awarded victory. The probability of additional playoff games in February is now greater than direct qualification for the round of 16.

“I’m angry,” Kovac complained, this time with unusual openness. Even after the cup exit against Bayer Leverkusen a week ago, the BVB coach praised his team’s very good game.

What impact does the outbreak have on contract negotiations?

Schlotterbeck’s criticism is also so explosive because the internationally sought-after national player has been hesitating for weeks about whether he should extend his contract in Dortmund, which expires in 2027, now or at all. According to reports, Schlotterbeck also wants to make his decision dependent on the prospect of being able to win titles with BVB. In this respect, his statement about the lack of quality makes you sit up and take notice.

But the truth is that Schlotterbeck is not beyond doubt at the moment. The best German central defender was also involved in the goals conceded on Wednesday. “Every player should judge themselves harshly,” said Kehl, among other things, with regard to Schlotterbeck’s explosive statements.