Saturday, April 03, 2021
“If you are realistic …”
BVB is getting closer and closer to the “catastrophe”
By Till Erdenberger
No, you shouldn’t expect to qualify for the Champions League at Borussia Dortmund: the gap to Eintracht Frankfurt is big, the key game is lost. Now worries are growing. Mats Hummels is already talking about the impending catastrophe.
Did Borussia Dortmund lose a lot more than just a Bundesliga game this Saturday afternoon? You have to accept it, because with the 1: 2 against Eintracht Frankfurt, BVB is now seven points away from a Champions League place. “It’s a very, very important game, as a look at the table shows. It is not yet possible to say to what extent this is a final. But we can narrow the gap,” said coach Edin Terzic before the game – it turned out differently .
Afterwards, defender Mats Hummels classified the bankruptcy pessimistically: “The chance of reaching the Champions League is now slim. We have to see that we can get our victories. We have a big one with the games in Cologne and against Frankfurt Dug a hole “, scolded the goal scorer to compensate for the meanwhile. “If you are realistic, even with six or seven wins it will be very difficult to get to fourth place. So that won’t be our topic for now.”
“Sporty and financially a catastrophe”
In terms of sport, a year in the Europa League would be bitter, and a slide into the new conference, which alternates between unknown and unloved in the Bundesliga, cannot be ruled out. Structurally, participation in the financially important premier class would be anything but dramatic: “Not reaching the Champions League would be a sporting and financial catastrophe. We’re close,” says Hummels. And immediately explains what the disaster could mean in concrete terms: “Logically, this has financial consequences and you may not be able to buy one that you want and have to sell one that you want to keep.”
Above all, they would like to keep Erling Haaland in Dortmund. The Norwegian was probably meant first and foremost by Hummels, even if he hadn’t said it. Haaland’s advisor Mino Raiola and father Alf-Inge Haaland are currently on a European tour to talk to top international clubs that want to secure the services of the goal scorer. Spanish media reports of meetings with FC Barcelona, the duo also presented in Madrid, most recently they traveled on to London.
Dortmund is “very, very relaxed”
Before the game, licensed player boss Sebastian Kehl had assured that they were “honestly dealing with the situation in a very relaxed manner” and that they were planning “firmly with Erling” for the coming season. BVB sports director Michael Zorc reacted calmly to media reports from Spain: “Our position is very clear. I’m very, very relaxed on this matter because I know what we want.” In addition, “we only recently had a very good conversation” with the Haaland warehouse, “it was very good and open.” Haaland’s contract in Dortmund runs until 2024, and an exit clause is not expected to take effect until summer 2022.
But in the case of a huge offer, as would have to come for the 20-year-old who was so incredibly successful in the Champions League, the corona-torn Dortmund would run out of arguments that should inspire their striker for another year in black and yellow. Haaland has scored 33 goals in 31 competitive games so far, and with ten goals he is also the top scorer in the Champions League. At the disappointing 2-2 on the previous matchday in Cologne, Haaland left the pitch visibly angry, despite two goals of his own.
Haaland’s “sparkle in the eyes”
It seems inconceivable that Dortmund life insurance would be eager to forego a year of the Champions League, i.e. in the very front row of European club football. Kehl had evidently evaded inquiries as to whether Haaland had already entered a change request for the coming summer. No, he didn’t want to answer that, he said. Instead, he assured: “I’ve seen the boy in training over the past few days and seen how hungry, what glint in his eyes, how much anticipation he has for the game against Frankfurt. He’ll be 100 percent hit it. ” It was useless. Haaland didn’t score, BVB lost. The game, the connection to the Champions League places and possibly also his goalscorer. No contract, serenity.
Advisor Mino Raiola can take a relaxed look at the efforts, he knows who he has in his portfolio: “Stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are getting on in years and everyone is asking: ‘How much longer can we do them admire? ‘”the Italian told the BBC in February. “I don’t think there is a sports director or coach anywhere in the world who would say: not interested,” said the consultant heavyweight. However, “only a maximum of ten clubs” could afford the 20-year-old BVB scorer and “offer him the stage that you would like to have if you were in Dortmund. And four of these clubs are in England,” added the 53-year-old . The stage that Haaland is definitely envisioning for his career planning is definitely called the Champions League. Those who cannot offer that have very bad cards.
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