So many unsettled scores: Borussia Dortmund’s visit to the Neckarstadion next Sunday carries a special significance after last season and the summer transfer window. Before the match, we spoke with BVB fan Nick from the blog Any Given Weekend about the situation with the Champions League finalists.
With the Red Stripe: Hello Nick, and thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. BVB started both cup competitions with a win, most recently with a 3–0 victory in Bruges on Wednesday evening. In the Bundesliga, there have been victories against Heidenheim and Frankfurt and a draw in Bremen. How satisfied are you with the start of the season?
Nick: Hello Lennart! In terms of results, the season has started well. There’s not much to say about the straightforward cup match, but seven points in the league and a 0–3 away win in the Champions League are definitely something to be proud of. However, in terms of play, there’s still quite a way to go before reaching the desired level, as we saw in Bruges, despite the clear result.
Fifth place last season was the worst finish since the 2014/2015 season. What did that trigger at the club, aside from Edin Terzic’s resignation?
That fifth-place finish, which under different circumstances wouldn’t have been enough for Champions League qualification, certainly stirred things up. The course of the season definitely contributed to the restructuring of the sporting leadership, with Ricken and Mislintat coming in. Besides Sahin, there are new faces on the coaching staff, and the transfer window was lively. Everyone, including the fans, is now probably aware that BVB is no longer guaranteed to finish at least second.
Terzic’s successor is BVB legend Nuri Şahin, who was already part of the coaching staff in the second half of the season. How do you assess the decision to appoint him, and how does he have the team playing this season?
I generally have a healthy dose of skepticism when Borussia brings back former players or staff members. It applies to both players and other officials. The so-called “BVB DNA” isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and the idea of a BVB family that welcomes back its “children” is nice, but in Dortmund, it’s often overplayed, with a “It’ll work out because they’re one of us” attitude. So Nuri has to prove himself to me first. He wants to make the game more attractive, move the ball forward faster, and he sometimes has the attacking players press high. But so far, it’s only worked to a limited extent, and his attempts with a back three, where all of the top center-backs play, are a bit risky personnel-wise.
Where are your current strengths and weaknesses?
We currently have several attacking players finding form: obviously Gittens, but also Adeyemi, and now Guirassy has joined. We’re also waiting for Julien Duranville to be fit for an extended period. It’s the individual quality of these players — in dribbling or sprints — that can help us when things aren’t clicking collectively. Of course, we also have a great goalkeeper, and Pascal Groß is seen as a key playmaker in midfield. One of the unresolved weaknesses is BVB’s difficulty in creating danger near the box when the opponent defends compactly. While we tend to see more Black-and-Yellows in the final third than under Terzic, we’re also more vulnerable to opponents’ quick counter-attacks.
After a disappointing last season, what are your expectations for the current one?
I expect a better finish, ideally ahead of RBL. In the cup, it’s time to head towards Berlin again — though, of course, you need some luck with the draw. Both goals require BVB to play more good matches than we’ve seen lately.
The connections between VfB and BVB are numerous. Let’s start off the pitch: In the spring, our former sporting director Sven Mislintat returned to Dortmund, though in a different role. Rumor has it there was some internal friction during the summer transfer window. What’s your take on his appointment?
For Sven Mislintat, I feel the same as I do about Sahin. Sure, Mislintat was a key factor in the success of the Klopp era and was still involved in some important transfers during the Tuchel years. It was also right to bring in someone with experience alongside Sebastian Kehl. But did it have to be such an alpha figure like Mislintat? I could have imagined a “transfer nerd” working more behind the scenes.
Some suspect that Borussia, at Mislintat’s prompting, signed two VfB players: Serhou Guirassy and, surprisingly for us, Waldemar Anton, completing a quartet of ex-VfB players alongside goalkeepers Gregor Kobel and Alex Meyer. How are Anton and Guirassy performing so far, and how satisfied are you with the summer transfers overall?
On the one hand, obvious transfers like taking a rising star from a league rival don’t spark much imagination. But of course, we’ve brought in a lot of quality with Guirassy and Anton. Pascal Groß was certainly a more surprising transfer. I would’ve liked one or two more signings like that. Otherwise, we strengthened where needed. Left-back still doesn’t seem like it’s been perfectly solved. I haven’t been able to watch all the matches in full, but Anton seems solid enough to fit into Dortmund’s defense without any issues. Guirassy had a longer appearance against Heidenheim where he didn’t score but helped us through his work rate and presence. His inclusion opens up more space for other players; it changes the dynamics of BVB’s game. In Bruges, he had a shorter, quieter appearance but calmly converted a penalty at the end, which was refreshing to see.
Can you understand the unrest in Stuttgart over Anton and the likely less-than-warm reception he’ll get on Sunday?
I can somewhat understand the fuss over Waldemar Anton. His contract extension, accompanied by flattering words, wasn’t that long ago. It doesn’t sit well with loyal fans when a player transfers within the league shortly afterward. But some of the outrage seems a bit overblown to me — unfortunately, it’s nothing new in today’s professional football.
Matches between Stuttgart and Dortmund are always classics. Do you sense a special atmosphere in Dortmund ahead of Sunday’s match due to the transfers and the three emotional but unsuccessful duels for BVB last season?
Many will likely see VfB as a benchmark to gauge how far the team’s renewal has come. A win in Stuttgart would be a statement, and even a draw with a good performance would be respectable given last season. There’s been a certain rivalry between the more active fan groups of both clubs in recent years. Those less interested in that will probably remember the thrilling matches of the past (before last season), which didn’t all end positively for Dortmund but, as you said, became classics. I think anticipation will prevail.
Finally, your prediction for the lineup and result?
Possible lineup: Kobel — Ryerson, Süle, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini — Can, Groß — Adeyemi, Brandt, Gittens — Guirassy.
My prediction: An entertaining 2–2, with a late BVB equalizer.
Note: This interview was translated from German via ChatGPT
Picture: © Lars Baron/Getty Images