analysis
Karim Adeyemi has great sporting potential. There are just occasional problems with discipline. Apparently it doesn’t bother him much. As the renewed gala performance against Leverkusen showed.
When Karim Adeyemi left the pitch at the BayArena in Leverkusen on Saturday evening in the 80th minute, he was proud to wave to the frenetic cheers of the Dortmund fan corner. The 23-year-old attacker once again played a brilliant game for BVB. Quick as an arrow, ready to play again and again and with a dream header to make it 2-0, he was also the man who had finally won the top Bundesliga game to Dortmund’s side. It was a class performance.
Like a few days before: Adeyemi’s performance against Villarreal FC was brilliant. After a difficult first half, he almost single-handedly led BVB to a 4-0 victory in the Champions League in the second 45 minutes.
“Karim was kissed by the good Lord”
His coach was extremely proud of his attacker, whom he had recently ennobled as a “world-class player”. “I have to keep showing him what his strengths are. Karim has been kissed by God”enthused Nico Kovac in “Kicker” after the Leverkusen game. “He has such speed and such power that he has to exploit and use it even more. If he can go one-on-one and sprint across the space, then he is strong. I have to work on that with him every day, convince him and get him there.”
The fact that the national player managed to score such a powerful header was no surprise for Kovac: “He has a jumping power, he has springs in him. I’ve never seen a player jump that high. It’s brutal the amount of strength he can develop.”
Public Prosecutor’s Office leaves him cold
Enthusiasm everywhere around Adeyemi – “How can that be?” The neutral observer may ask himself – given the headlines that hit Adeyemi a few days before these games? The nimble dribbler had a penalty notice from the public prosecutor on the table. The charge was “illegal possession of weapons” – no small matter. Certainly an act with the potential to throw a young footballer more or less off balance in terms of sport.
And Adeyemi? Acts defiantly, shows a gesture after his goal to make it 3-2 in the game against VfB Stuttgart (3-3), which is something like “Blah blah” is interpreted. “Stop babbling”may be the interpretation of his message.
Integrated into the team with a lot of work
They have a lot of fun with the fuzzy head at Borussia Dortmund. At least most of the time when he stands for black and yellow. Adeyemi learned to integrate into the team. It wasn’t easy to teach him to be a team member. To work backwards when necessary. See and serve teammates when they are better positioned. To avoid dismissive hand movements when being substituted. Adeyemi learned everything the hard way – over time.
Happy together after the end of the game – Karim Adeyemi (from left) and Niko Kovac
Raising the exceptional talent off the pitch seems to be more difficult. With the help of DFB sports director Rudi Völler and those responsible at BVB, he got out of the illegal gun possession situation lightly. He’ll have to do a few community service hours and then the matter will be over. Awareness of injustice? It’s not really noticeable on the young football hero.
Contract extension falters
Instead, there are completely new headlines about the Munich native, who was not easy to manage even as a teenager and who once left secondary school without a qualification. The calls for an extension of the contract, which expires in 2027, which was given top priority at the club a few weeks ago, are said to have become considerably quieter recently.
Adeyemi and his advisor Jorge Mendes are also said to have rejected an offer of improved conditions. Alleged interested parties such as Manchester United and Arsenal FC are already appearing in the tabloid newspapers. Karim Adeyemi doesn’t seem to be impressed by any of this. He’s playing better football than ever before.