Instead of 300,000 fans around the Borsigplatz, 100 die-hards were waiting for the Dortmund team at the training ground. The day after the dramatic outcome of the championship, Borussia Dortmund started to come to terms with the title trauma with a season-ending meeting. Captain Marco Reus drove up at 10:43 a.m.
Only at the end of the approximately 50-minute meeting in the presence of managing directors Hans-Joachim Watzke and Carsten Cramer as well as sports director Sebastian Kehl did players like Mats Hummels and Jude Bellingham and coach Edin Terzic patiently sign autographs. However, no professional wanted to comment.
Watzke spoke for that. “It hurts a lot. I’ve been doing this job for a long time, but yesterday it felt even worse than losing the Champions League final in 2013,” said the CEO of the “Kicker” with a view to the final against FC Bayern Munich (1: 2 ).
The shock was still deep in the bones of the Dortmunders after a night with little impact. “This matchday will hurt us for a long time,” said coach Terzic after the 2-2 draw against FSV Mainz 05. If they had won, BVB would have had the title for sure, so the big rival from the south was celebrating again.
Nobody in Dortmund will soon forget the pictures from May 27, 2023. When it became clear that Borussia had failed again, players and fans burst into tears. Born in Dortmund, Reus sat on the floor for minutes. Coach Edin Terzic cried in front of the south stand, where he used to cheer on BVB himself. The Dortmund fans celebrated him with chants.
With all the sadness about the missed mega chance, Terzic already announced the next title attack. “We are all aware that the road to success is often rocky, often hard, often very long,” said Terzic. “Today is also part of our path from now on. No matter how great the pain is today, it will be the motivation for tomorrow.”
The fans have been so supportive, they have given us so much support, even after the game, in the midst of this pain. That must be a commitment to move on now.
Hans Joachim WatzkeManaging Director of BVB
Dortmund’s coach added: “We will pull ourselves together, we will draw the right conclusions, we will process this day today and then the path we have taken will be rewarded one day.”
Watzke said something similar: “The fans supported us so well, gave us so much support, even after the game, in the middle of this pain,” said the 63-year-old. “That must be a commitment to move on now. BVB is a club that recovers quickly from something like this. In the Ruhr area, we are doomed to keep getting up.”
To do this, however, the shock must first be processed. “These are the moments that everyone takes home with them, that everyone lives through with their families, everyone lives through with their wives. That will take a bit,” said sporting director Kehl.
In addition, there are also some starting points in sport that need to be improved. They made it to the top of the table three times, and lost it again three times on the next matchday. In addition, the BVB defense not only revealed large gaps against Mainz. Of the four clubs qualified for the Champions League, BVB conceded the most goals (44).
The vulnerability on crosses and counterattacks was alarming. Creativity and assertiveness were missing for a long time in the game forward. Should key player and midfield strategist Bellingham leave the club, those responsible would also have the huge task of filling the huge void left by the Englishman. (dpa)
Source: Tagesspiegel
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
