This is how the club reacts
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The future of central defender Nico Schlotterbeck is determining the headlines around Borussia Dortmund these days without any input from the professional. Background: A report in the “Bild” newspaper published on Tuesday. This suggests that the contract extension planned by the club is stalling due to the national player’s growing reservations. According to “WAZ”, people from Westphalia react irritably.
Schlotterbeck’s contract runs until 2027, and BVB is pushing for an immediate extension because they want to establish the defender as a leading player. He is taking his time with his decision; FC Barcelona, FC Bayern and Liverpool FC have recently reported interest. In its report, “Bild” suggests that Schlotterbeck’s hesitation has several reasons, citing, among other things, voices from those around him, but without becoming more specific. Accordingly, the professional has reservations and doubts about the way coach Niko Kovac plays football. Too little spectacle and too much pragmatism are reported in the paper. In addition, the recent defeats against Bayern and Manchester City showed the player that Dortmund was “not a top team” with which to play for national and international titles.
In view of the positive upswing under Kovac, who, with an average points per game of 2.02 points, is among the most successful BVB coaches in the club’s history, this is at least a bold thesis. In addition, the team is still among the strongest teams in the top European leagues. Nevertheless, the speculations are also well received by the supporters of the Black and Yellows. “I can understand Schlotti. This football is simply difficult to tolerate. I think it’s good that he speaks about it openly,” writes the user “Kinkimparc” in the Transfermarkt forum. Schlotterbeck himself had unconsciously fueled the rumors about his supposed reservations about Kovac with a statement after the 1-1 draw against Hamburger SV: “After the 1-0 draw, we lost a little bit of control. We have to play a little football,” he said after the game.
Despite convincing ratings: Skepticism about Kovac football also in the TM forum
TM user “Torginho” says: “The players are not stupid and, when in doubt, they prefer to run away when they are forced to play this submissive wall football. Hummels is the best example – it also went against the grain for him. It would have made perfect sense to extend him for another year because he was in top form. However, nothing came of it because he was too uncomfortable and expressed criticism. Players with ambitions also have their pride and don’t want to do it every week tremble about a win against a basement child (…) I am convinced that you would normally have a very good chance of keeping Schlotterbeck – but not with this type of football. And if such top players cannot be retained, the football will become even worse – that is a negative spiral.
The user “Herzog10” writes: “Nico, hold on for another four months, then at the latest there will be a new coach again… Hopefully one who needs the bus for short trips and not to park it in front of the goal. Kovac saved us the 24/25 season, but he is absolutely unsuitable for long-term development of a top national team. Could Nico be the reason for not extending the contract? Yes, absolutely, but that is certainly not the only element.” Overall, the thread is dominated by skepticism regarding Kovac’s approach and an extension of Schlotterbeck.
As the “WAZ” reported on Wednesday, the Bundesliga club was irritated by the depiction in the “Bild” report. Reference is also made there, quite rightly, to Schlotterbeck’s statements from October. “Of course this is a very, very important decision in my career,” said the 25-year-old when asked about his future at “Sky” after the defeat against Bayern. The first point of contact is Dortmund. He will sit down with sports director Sebastian Kehl and work out a plan “and then we’ll see where it all leads.”
The ex-Freiburger emphasized that he felt very comfortable in Dortmund at that time. “I have no problem continuing on the path,” said Schlotterbeck, who also referred to the development under coach Kovac. “It’s a joy, it’s a lot of fun.” According to reports, BVB presented Schlotterbeck with a contract ready to be signed until 2030 in recent weeks, which would guarantee him a salary of around 10 million euros and make him the top earner in the squad from the 2026/27 season.
After the international break, BVB will play VfB Stuttgart; previously there was news about Schlotterbeck’s fitness from the DFB camp on Wednesday. The 25-year-old’s health, who has been dealing with a foot injury since the HSV game, has “significantly improved”, but a session on the pitch was not yet possible two days before the game, the DFB announced.