A team without a main striker for a long time. The man who replaced the striker has not yet met the goal output. That’s how Dortmund entered the 2022 World Cup break. But, since then, the situation has completely changed.
Dortmund quickly revived. They are not the challenger, instead, the black and yellow shirt team is the one in charge of self-determination. “This season is like a roller coaster. Hopefully we can show the world that we deserve to win after a decade of dominance by Bayern Munich,” said sporting director Sebastian Kehl of his club.
The influence of sporting director Kehl on Dortmund is not small.
Fix problem
This is Sebastian Kehl’s first year as Sports Director at Signal Iduna Park. “This has not been an easy season for me,” said the former Dortmund player. Kehl admits he and his associates patiently do whatever it takes to The team plays stably and creates cohesion between players.
“Honestly, we were impatient at the beginning of the season. The fact that we are only 6th in the rankings until November 2022 has a bad effect on the mentality of the players. Obviously this is a result below expectations,” added Kehl.
But the positive came and started at the Marbella training camp. Kehl meets with the team and brainstorms for the players. He said: “Performance is not a gift, only diligence and practice will bring success.”
Kehl succeeded. Every player in the squad is playing well. “They were much more focused.” In particular, the team received the return of Sebastien Haller – a striker who treated testicular cancer before the season. Confidence spread throughout the team and just like that, Dortmund moved on.
Haller’s Magical Return
The match marking the return of Haller took place in February 2023. The Ivorian impressed with a goal in a 5-1 win over Freiburg. The team hugged Haller and celebrated with him. “It’s a miracle that Haller is back on the pitch after a terminal illness,” Kehl said.
The presence of the former Ajax star at a pivotal moment is very important for the Ruhr team. Anthony Modeste played the role and once scored a late equalizer against Bayern Munich. Karim Adeyemi is also showing great progress. But Dortmund still needs a strong Haller to shoulder the attack. Remember, in the first half of this year’s Bundesliga season, Sebastien Haller is on the list of top scorers.
Bellingham is the youngest captain in Bundesliga history.
Bellingham’s Magic
Bellingham is a special talent of English football. What he shows is far beyond the age of 19. Karim Adeyemi commented of his teammate: “The ball loves Bellingham and he loves it too. Bellingham’s football is amazing and he knows how to perform on the pitch.”
At Dortmund, Reus was the captain, Hummels was the mainstay and Bellingham emerged as the leader. The departure of the former Birmingham midfielder is inevitable but Dortmund can consider now as the time to rebuild the midfield. The Signal Iduna Park home team will still follow the way it has always been: finding and training potential tomorrow stars around the world and then upgrading them for a few seasons, before selling for extremely high transfer fees. .
Minh Duc | 07:37 May 26, 2023
