Turbulent BVB annual financial statements
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Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac defended Nico Schlotterbeck’s recently much-discussed verbal all-round attack and praised his defense chief. “That’s what a coach wants: responsibility. We all want responsible players and Schlotti is a leader,” said Kovac after the 2-0 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Schlotterbeck clearly criticized some of his teammates after BVB’s 2-2 draw in the Champions League against Norwegian runners-up FK Bodø/Glimt a week and a half ago. This behavior was hotly debated. “I expect the same from him. Because it’s self-cleaning. Of course, everyone can make mistakes. That’s part of it,” said Kovac. “But I think you also have to give it to the players that they talk about things when they’re not good. And also talk about things when they’re good. They do that too. Of course, the negative always comes out. I understand that.”
Kovac added, thinking of coaching legend Giovanni Trapattoni: “My coach Trapattoni said: A coach can’t do everything alone. A coach needs support, mostly from the leading players, from the established ones. Because ultimately they also have to manage the dressing room and the pitch. And Schlotti did that. Today, I think he played a bomb game.”
BVB sports director Kehl announces punishment for Adeyemi
The game against Gladbach was not without excitement either. Karim Adeyemi made many gestures about his substitution in the 60th minute. “The scene will be talked about, he will get a penalty for it,” said sports director Sebastian Kehl immediately after the game. “I don’t want to see the reaction, the coach doesn’t want to see it, nobody wants to see it.” That’s not appropriate, said the sports director, the players have to accept it when the coach makes a decision. Then Kehl became specific: “We’ve had some of these situations now and we don’t want to see these situations and that’s why he’s going to get a fine for it.”
BVB coach Niko Kovac said Adeyemi also had to learn to deal with weaker games. “It wasn’t his day today, so the substitution was justified,” said Kovac. It’s about emotions, but you also have to be insightful. Regarding the announced punishment, Kovac said: “This is the club’s decision, which I totally understand, accept and think is right.”
Adeyemi has repeatedly caused a stir in recent weeks. In mid-November it became known that the 23-year-old national player had already received a penalty order for illegal possession of weapons at the end of October with a fine of 60 daily rates. BVB managing director Lars Ricken and DFB sports director Rudi Völler also agreed that the BVB professional should get involved in a social project in Dortmund’s Nordstadt. BVB did not plan any further sanctions at the time.