After a carelessly lost victory
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At Borussia Dortmund there is thick air after the carelessly squandered Champions League victory against FK Bodø/Glimt. Defense boss Nico Schlotterbeck in particular found clear words after the 2:2 (1:1) against the Norwegian runner-up and harshly criticized his teammates. “The players who come in lose every ball,” complained the 26-year-old on “DAZN” towards substitutes Daniel Svensson, Karim Adeyemi, Serhou Guirassy, captain Emre Can and Julian Ryerson.
Adeyemi and Guirassy, who hardly managed anything after being brought in in the 67th minute, are likely to be particularly affected by this. “If you come in in the 60th minute, I expect 30 minutes of full steam,” Schlotterbeck continued, without naming any specific names. “It all looked nice, we combined a bit on the right and left, but you have to kill and we didn’t do that.”
Coach Niko Kovac did not want to comment specifically on Schlotterbeck’s comments after the game, which he said he had not heard at the time. However, Kovac criticized similar things to his defense chief and, according to sports director Sebastian Kehl, gave his team 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 Kehl.
Before the game, Kehl had called for a win to increase the chances of direct qualification for the round of 16. With the two remaining preliminary round games in January at Tottenham Hotspur and against Inter Milan, there is now a risk of additional playoff games in February. “The players should be aware of what they lost here today,” emphasized Kehl, who spoke of a certain “arrogance.”
Explosive Schlotterbeck criticism of BVB colleagues
“We’re playing in the Champions League. That’s far too little,” emphasized Schlotterbeck, who remarked in view of the lead that was lost twice: “We can go to 13 points here and I don’t think some people realize how important that is. Now you have to win both games, otherwise you won’t be in the top eight. That’s why it’s not bitter, it’s just really bad.” The defender also spoke of “incredibly bad first contacts” on the ball: “We always play the pass on the wrong foot.”
Schlotterbeck’s statements are also explosive because the key player is currently hesitant to extend his contract in Dortmund, which expires in 2027. Top European teams are said to be interested in him. Schlotterbeck is said to have recently made a possible contract extension dependent on the prospect of winning titles with BVB.