It doesn’t appear to be a happy Dortmund camp ahead of Champions League meeting with Brendan Rodgers’ men
While Celtic seems to be united in their efforts, Borussia Dortmund is facing internal strife ahead of their Champions League clash on Tuesday. Brendan Rodgers will lead his side to Germany for their second group stage match, where last season’s runners-up await. However, under the management of Nuri Sahin, Dortmund has struggled to maintain the same momentum.
A heavy 5-1 defeat to VFB Stuttgart has added pressure to Sahin, and although they managed a 4-2 Ruhr derby win against Bochum, the performance was unconvincing. Further complicating matters is a public feud between Sahin and Austrian star Marcel Sabitzer, who has voiced his frustration over being played out of position as a right winger rather than his preferred No. 6 role. Sahin’s response, asserting that Sabitzer will continue to be used on the wing, has drawn criticism from legendary German coach Peter Neururer.
Neururer, in an interview with *Der Westen*, commented, “Sabitzer is an outstanding footballer, but it’s wrong to air such disagreements publicly. Players should be heard, but ultimately, the coach makes the decisions.” He warned that Sahin could face similar issues to those experienced by his predecessor Edin Terzic, who clashed with Mats Hummels last season—a situation Sahin witnessed firsthand as Terzic’s assistant.
Adding to Dortmund’s internal chaos, sporting director Lars Ricken revealed that there has been friction among the club’s hierarchy over transfers. Disagreements reportedly arose regarding moves for players like Yan Couto and Maximilian Beier, leading to tension between Ricken, Sven Mislintat, Sebastian Kehl, and transfer advisor Matthias Sammer. Ricken candidly admitted, “We can argue like tinkers,” and when asked who tends to get the most heated, he pointed to Sammer, humorously noting, “He’s just swearing the whole time.”
Dortmund’s off-field issues could work in Celtic’s favor as they prepare for the Champions League showdown.
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