Criticism by Schlotterbeck, Kovac & Can
© Imago
A Champions League game remains Borussia Dortmund as a lifeline for an otherwise bad playing time. In the Bundesliga, the season for the crashed district giant seems to run against FC Augsburg after the sobering 0: 1. If the BVB does not somehow create the quarter-finals on Wednesday in the round of 16 second legs at the Losc, there is any motivation for the remaining games. That made Nico Schlotterbeck very clear.
“The goal in the league cannot be that we bump around in tenth place. If we have as many bad games as at the moment, we are completely right. The goal of mine is not to become seventh, sixth or fifth, ”said the national defender. “To get under the top 4-this will be very, very difficult-we should have started a series. We haven’t managed that again today. “
It sounded as if the 25-year-old had already given the Bundesliga season after the tenth BVB defeat. “Maybe we can somehow pull ourselves through the Champions League season,” said the frustrated Schlotterbeck. “But today I’m just bent.”
Not just he. Almost the entire game about the uninspired and haphazard BVB professionals felt the anger of the over 80,000 spectators. After the early game -decisive goal of Augsburg Captain Jeffrey Gouweleeuw (23rd), the sneering applause, the insults and whistles and whistles were stronger and louder with every unsuccessful situation. And almost everything failed.
“We played badly today,” commented coach Niko Kovac, the worst game under his leadership since taking office on February 2. His further evaluation was like a verbal disassembly: “We did not implement what we have set out at all. We have not created any risk of scoring, had no aggressiveness and no intensity. We got what we showed, namely nothing. “
One wonders what this squad actually did and who actually believed in BVB that the team can seriously play in this compilation for the Champions League qualification. Kovac seemed to have recently stabilized the team, which was taken over after the separation of Nuri Şahin. But only regular system failure is constant in Dortmund. There were modest 1.38 points per party under Kovac’s management, predecessor Nuri Sahin came up with a point cut of 1.48.
Schlotterbeck confesses: BVB squad has too little quality
“We turn in a circle. We have too many games in which we don’t go to the border at all. It’s just not good enough, ”Schlotterbeck scolded. “We talk about it every two or three weeks. We have no consistency in the team. Missing consistency always means missing quality. “
Sports director Sebastian Kehl got involved. Together with Sven Mislintat, who had already been leave, he had put together the squad after the lost Champions League final and the departure of leadership figures such as Marco Reus and Mats Hummels. An unbalanced in the new contingent emerged early. Kehl had always denied this and believed in the players. So is now over. “Of course we worry when things are repeated,” said Kehl, adding specifically after a compelling renewed squad break in summer: “Of course we have to think about these thoughts.”
Julian Brandt (28) is currently symbolized for the overestimated squad: highly managed, but for weeks in the form of form. Despite the ongoing contract, separation could occur in summer. “In the current situation, you can’t really say that. Of course we have a contract, but we have a difficult situation in which we are in ourselves, ”said Kehl at“ Sky ”.
Captain Emre Can (31) also put his finger deep into the wound by explaining: “The first half was very energy -loving, the performance was terrible. We are not a top team, we have to admit that. I don’t know if we deserve to get the top four, let alone the first six. If we continue like this, it will be a very, very bad season for us. It is difficult to find the right words. We say the same thing after every game. It has nothing to do with fitness. It’s all in the head, ”said the veteran according to the“ Ruhr Nachrichten ”.