This message could hardly have come for Borussia Dortmund at a worse time: Nico Schlotterbeck’s long injury -related failure of Nico Schlotterbeck ensures disillusionment.
This message could hardly have come for Borussia Dortmund at a worse time: the long one injury -related Failure by Nico Schlotterbeck ensures disillusionment in the upswing that has just started.
This sudden mood of the last few days was simply not to be overlooked. Borussia Dortmund Had caught again, not least after the youngest, extremely convincing Bundesliga victory at SC Freiburg. The hope of everyone involved: After weeks and months of the setbacks, the BVB is finally going up again – and the club may still be able to achieve its sporting goals.
In the Bundesliga the team of coach Nico Kovac got the curve. The BVB climbed from eleventh to eighth place and reduced the deficit in four out of ten to five points through the victories against direct competitors Mainz and Freiburg. The qualification for the Champions League seems to be possible again via the league. And then there is a direct opportunity in the European premier class, from Wednesday evening (9.4.20225) in the quarter -finals at FC Barcelona.
Internal course change
However, this euphoria received a bitter damper on Monday when the club had to communicate that Nico Schlotterbeck will be out for a long time with a meniscus tear in the left knee, which he suffered during training. “That hits us very hard”said sports director Sebastian Kehl almost steadily. “He is a very important part of our team and convinced this season with consistently good performances”.
In the European premier class, Schlotterbeck had not previously missed a minute and even wore the captain’s armband in the group phase against Bologna. And: It was the 25-year-old who was primarily mentioned as a synonym of these current positive Dortmund development.
All the more disappointing the failure for himself. “It will be a long and challenging journey, but I am determined to do everything to become in top shape”, Schlotterbeck wrote on Instagram.
Driven by coach Kovac, whose work only has a positive effect on the team structure with some delay, it was above all the central defender who shaped the internal change of course and improved and stabilized his performance. Schlotterbeck not only tried to bring in his special skills such as duel and ball skills in defense, but also increasingly switched on to the attack.
Better than under nuri Sahin
In the home win against Mainz 05, he alone shot four times on the opposing goal and prepared two goals directly with a corner kick. The balance of a top striker. It was the idea of coach Kovac to have his central defender carried out the corner kicks – which turned out to be brilliant.
BVB has improved quite significantly in almost all essential categories under Kovac compared to predecessor Nuri Sahin. The team scores more goals, scores more chances, runs more and more intensely and also wins more duels. Almost all statistical values speak for the changes under Kovac and his new team structure.
Alternatives available
It is all the more tragic that Schlotterbeck will lack a major success factor with Schlotterbeck in the crucial end of the season. Personnel, the BVB will be able to replace the central defender, with captain Emre Can (31), Niklas Süle (29) Waldemar Anton (28) as well as the flexibly used Ramy Bensebaini (29) and Julian Rerson (27) are available for the central position in the defense chain.
Whether one of Schlotterbeck’s representatives will succeed, however, to radiate a comparable self -confident radiance and to expel it his own naturalness.
At BVB you still have hope that Schlotterbeck could be operational again in the USA up to the newly created club World Cup (June 14th to July 13th). Until then, Borussia must definitely overcome the sporting hurdles without its top performer.
Meanwhile, Schlotterbeck announced that he would withdraw from the public and social media during his rehabilitation “To concentrate fully on my recovery – and above all because I need it for myself and my head”.
