Absences due to illness
As in times of Corona: BVB takes action
January 13, 2025 – 9:19 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
BVB is currently struggling with a wave of illness. In order to limit the number of players missing, special measures now apply.
The start of the new year was unfortunate for Borussia Dortmund. First, almost the entire defense was unavailable due to illness, then coach Nuri Şahin’s team suffered a bitter 2-3 defeat at the Bundesliga restart against Bayer Leverkusen. Dortmund is currently in eighth place in the table – and is therefore under massive pressure shortly after the New Year.
“It was like a bad joke,” said Şahin about the completely crazy wave of illness and several short-term absences. “I felt like I was getting a message every hour that a player was out.” Nico Schlotterbeck, Ramy Bensebaini, Waldemar Anton and captain Emre Can were missing due to illness. In defense, BVB necessarily relied on third division professional Yannik Lührs and U17 world champion Almugera Kabar. Right-back Julian Ryerson also had to help out in the center.
With masks, distance and spatial separation, BVB is now trying everything to contain the disease. Midfielder Felix Nmecha feels like he has been transported back to the times of the corona pandemic: “It was a bit like Covid again.” As the “Bild-Zeitung” reports, the still fit professionals are no longer allowed to shake hands with each other. The “black and yellow” have therefore returned to the fist salute.
In addition, lunch together should only be held at large intervals and meetings are only allowed in small groups. The club hopes to end the wave of illness soon.
However, the Dortmunders don’t have much time to recover. The club will face relegation candidate Holstein Kiel on Tuesday (from 6:30 p.m. in the live ticker on t-online). Coach Şahin had already dampened hopes of possible returnees: “They’re all doing so badly. I don’t have a lot of hope. I’d like to be pleasantly surprised.”