Many well-known faces from German football now play abroad, largely unnoticed by the media. In the sport.de spotlight today: Bad news for a former BVB hopeful and a former FC Bayern talent who has reached the Champions League final.
Khaled Narey once matured into a hopeful talent in the academy of SV Bergisch-Gladbach and Bayer Leverkusen before moving to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2014. The goal: He should recommend himself for the professional team through appearances for BVB II in the 3rd division.
The youngster immediately became a regular player in the second representation of the black and yellow, in the Bundesliga the variable winger was also three times on the bench, was not substituted on, but the first steps in professional football were quite promising.
BVB also saw it that way, who loaned Narey to the second division club SC Paderborn in 2015, but previously extended the contract of the then 20-year-old to 2017 and, when announcing the loan, explicitly said that Narey had “upward prospects” in Dortmund – However, the German-Togolese should never come closer to the professional squad.
Because: The big breakthrough did not materialize in Paderborn, followed by a move to SpVgg Greuther Fürth, three years at HSV and an outstanding 2021/22 season at Fortuna Düsseldorf (33 games/8 goals/15 assists) – an overall very remarkable career in the 2nd Bundesliga, before Narey finally took the step into a European upper house at the age of 28.
In the summer of 2022, PAOK Saloniki transferred 1.5 million euros to Fortuna to secure Narey’s services for four years. A decision that the Greeks should not have regretted. In 35 appearances, the winger has eight goals and eleven assists. However, his biggest gala to date in the Greek jersey was recently followed by a bitter blow to the neck.
In the play-offs for the championship and international places, Salonika defeated Volos 4-2 on April 9, Narey scored the second brace of his professional career and was voted man of the match by the fans.
A few days later, however, the bad news followed. Narey was taken to the hospital with breathing difficulties, where microthrombosis was found in the lungs – according to the club, the late effects of surviving COVID-19 disease. A return to gaming is only possible when the clots dissolve.
Traded by the media as FC Bayern’s “playmaker of the future”.
A successful time in the ranks of Greuther Fürth unites Narey with Timothy Tillman, who in January 2020 after almost 100 games for the FC Bayern substructure but no commitment for the professionals, moved on to the clover leaves and even rose to the Bundesliga with SpVgg in 2021.
After Fürth was not able to keep the class as expected, Tillman stayed in league two for another half year, but joined FC Los Angeles from the MLS in January 2023. There Tilman is now facing his greatest success.
The former German junior international led LAFC to the final of the CONCACAF Champions League early Wednesday morning.
Tillman’s goal for the important 1-0 lead (13th) paved the way to the finals in the 3-0 semifinal second leg against the Philadelphia Union. The winner of the Mexican duel between Club Leon and UANL Tigres awaits there on May 31st and June 4th.
“He set the tone, I’m happy for him,” said coach Steven Cherundolo and added with a smile: “But I’m less happy about his cramps. I have to talk to him about his diet.”
The midfielder, whom “Sport Bild” once named FC Bayern’s “playmaker of the future”, moved to his father’s home country in February, where he is completely satisfied. The team is “like a big family,” said the 24-year-old after winning the semifinals. That is what makes success.
Is it enough internationally for the big hit? Tillman enjoyed the “wonderful feeling” of victory and promised: “We’re ready!”
Marc Affeldt