Julian Brandt had a very strong first half of the season at Borussia Dortmund. The 27-year-old not only impresses athletically on the pitch, but also leads the way after the games as a leader. Why Brandt is the actual BVB captain.
When Marco Reus resigned from his captaincy in the summer, there was a lot of speculation about potential successors. The names of Mats Hummels, Gregor Kobel and Niklas Süle kept coming up.
Emre Can ultimately won the contract. A decision that didn’t necessarily turn out to be a happy one, especially at the start of the season.
Despite his appointment as BVB captain, Can often found himself on the bench. A circumstance that brought many of the midfielder’s critics back to the forefront and caused unrest in the club.
Can is now back under coach Edin Terzic. Nevertheless, another very suitable candidate is emerging on and off the pitch, who wasn’t even one of the potential candidates in the summer: Julian Brandt.
The national player is not only delivering athletically this season, but is also available to answer questions after defeats – and is often critical of the performances shown. Just in the spirit of a BVB captain.
Brandt is almost unconditionally placed under Terzic this season. The attacking midfielder appeared in 17 Bundesliga and five Champions League games. From the start he was allowed to play 19 times.
Brandt’s statistics are particularly impressive in the German upper house. There are already six goals and seven assists.
This makes the 27-year-old the most dangerous midfielder in the Bundesliga and even leaves DFB high-flyer Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen behind in this ranking (12 scorer points). This is particularly remarkable given Borussia Dortmund’s rather disappointing performance so far.
BVB coach Terzic raves about Brandt
“I think he is someone who is really good for us. Both in possession and against the ball, because he has a very good sense of when to leave the space, when to run, when to press and when to win the ball.” , Terzic raved about his protégé in October: “He has improved enormously in the way he threatens goals.”
Off the pitch, too, Brandt has developed into a player who leads the way and takes responsibility.
Especially after BVB’s unconvincing performances, it is always Brandt who steps in front of the microphones and delivers ruthless analysis.
After the recent 3-0 win against SV Darmstadt, Brandt put his finger in the wound. “Even today it wasn’t that perfect,” he said on “Sky”. He saw “a very disjointed and chaotic game”. The game was “not a feast for the eyes”.
In a “kicker” interview, Brandt recently emphasized with a view to the first half of the season: “There are a lot of small points that didn’t fit.”
Brandt stands in front of the BVB team
In November, the Bremen native publicly stood in front of the team and clearly rejected the criticism.
“We’ve been complaining about our style of play for weeks – even when we win games. But that’s totally unimportant in this phase. I’d rather play badly and win than shine and lose. That has to get into people’s heads,” he said “Sports Image”.
Statements that you would want from a captain. Brandt, however, is not even third team captain at BVB, he is just a member of the team council. Gregor Kobel and Niklas Süle are planned as Can’s replacements.
However, Brandt has no claim to the office. “I do think that I want to be someone who takes on a leadership role. But that doesn’t necessarily have to have anything to do with the captain’s armband,” he made it clear to “web.de” in April 2023: “We have a lot of boys, who are leading the way and I want to be one of them too.”
Should Terzic want to correct his decision from the summer one day, Brandt would certainly be available.
Lissy Beckonert