No coaching discussion
©IMAGO
After the bitter cup defeat against VfL Wolfsburg, BVB sports director Lars Ricken also supported coach Nuri Şahin. “We only have discussions about how we can get our quality onto the pitch or win games. About nothing else,” answered the 48-year-old in the “Bild” interview when asked whether there would be a coaching discussion next Saturday (6:30 p.m.) in the event of a defeat against RB Leipzig.
BVB was only able to win one of the last five competitive games, and Borussia left the field as losers four times. In the Bundesliga, the Revierklub is in seventh place after eight matchdays; it is Dortmund’s worst start to the season in ten years. “After games, I naturally see Nuri thoughtful, but still focused and communicative. His relationship with the team is intact, he prepares the games with his team very well before and after. “It’s meticulous, analytical,” Ricken reported.
The sporting situation is putting a strain on everyone in the club. “I have overall responsibility for the sport. Criticism is justified and yet I remain combative. It is my job to work on solutions with the coach and the sports management, who work with the team every day. We started with a lot of enthusiasm. Our transfer phase and the squad were rated very positively. We all thought we would be different today – now we have to draw the right conclusions. The team worked hard in Wolfsburg. She wanted. “She had good phases, but at the moment the ball is falling at the opponent’s feet – not us,” said Ricken.
The reasons for the crisis are diverse. “There was a lot of squad movement. We knew that there would be setbacks, that we would have to rebuild things, that it would take time. Nevertheless, it shouldn’t be the case that almost 70 percent ball possession like in Berlin and almost 80 like in Augsburg only creates one chance. Now it’s about clear analyses, derivations and implementations. It must be the aim of every individual to play football more successfully,” said Ricken. “A title is gone. We will not and must not hide behind ‘we need time’. Time runs faster in Dortmund than anywhere else. We have worked for this. We are in second place in the public eye, have millions of fans, are in perfect health, and our management runs the club very well. Then of course you can expect us to be successful.”
BVB sports director Ricken demands Champions League qualification from Şahin
The BVB sports director also named specific adjustment screws that need to be adjusted. “Quite simple: On the one hand, we concede too many goals. On the other hand, we were always good when we had speed, dynamism and determination in our game. When we put our offenses in situations where they could exploit their individual qualities. We have to go back there,” said Ricken. To ensure that the season doesn’t slip away completely, what counts now are results and not long-term developments.
“We also finance our business model through the Champions League qualification. We no longer have any points to give away; we have of course recognized the seriousness of the situation. You can mention the bad luck with injuries, but we won’t use that as an alibi. There is always a competitive team on the pitch,” said Ricken, who reiterated the season’s goal: “Every BVB coach knows that qualifying for the Champions League is our common benchmark. We are two points behind. In this respect, I think in solutions and not in scenarios.”
