Tag: Borussia Dortmund

  • Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha Faces Lengthy Absence Due to Hip Injury

    Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha Faces Lengthy Absence Due to Hip Injury

    By Milcah Tanimu

    Borussia Dortmund’s midfielder, Felix Nmecha, will be sidelined until 2024 due to a hip injury, as confirmed by coach Edin Terzic. Terzic stated, “Felix Nmecha will not be available for the rest of the calendar year due to a hip injury. It’s a complicated part of the body, and we need to give him a break.”

    Nmecha, who joined Dortmund from Wolfsburg in the summer for a transfer fee of 30 million euros ($32.7 million), scored a crucial goal in Dortmund’s Champions League victory over Newcastle in October. Born in Hamburg, Nmecha, along with his brother Lukas, progressed through the Manchester City academy before representing Germany.

    Dortmund, currently fifth in the Bundesliga, faces challenges with Nmecha’s absence following recent defeats to Bayern Munich and Stuttgart. They aim to bounce back in their upcoming match against Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday. Terzic expressed the team’s determination to improve and show a better performance in the upcoming fixture.

  • Jude Bellingham explains the reason behind his decision to wear Zidane’s No. 5 shirt

    Jude Bellingham explains the reason behind his decision to wear Zidane’s No. 5 shirt

    During his official presentation in the Spanish capital on Thursday, Jude Bellingham, the newly signed player for Real Madrid, expressed his desire to honor the legendary Zinedine Zidane by donning the number five shirt.

    The 19-year-old England international completed his transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Madrid on Wednesday, securing a six-year contract for a fee of 103 million euros ($112 million), with the potential for an additional 30 percent in bonuses.During the press conference, Jude Bellingham, joined by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, shed light on his decision to choose the number five shirt.

    Bellingham, who has predominantly worn the number 22 throughout his career, explained that the number is significant to him as it represents the sum of shirt numbers 10, 8, and 4. This combination symbolizes his versatility in midfield and wide-ranging skill set.

    It is worth noting that the number 22 is currently worn by defender Antonio Rudiger, hence Bellingham’s decision to opt for a different number at Real Madrid.Jude Bellingham, speaking at a news conference, reiterated his admiration for Zinedine Zidane and the impact he had at Real Madrid. He expressed his intention to pay homage to the legendary player by wearing the number five shirt.

    “I’ve mentioned in several interviews how much I admire Zinedine Zidane and the legacy he has at this club with this number. I’m just being myself, Jude, but it’s certainly a way of honoring his greatness,” Bellingham stated.“The number 22 has a big meaning for me, and in my heart I’m still number 22, just with the number 5 on my back.”

    Bellingham said wearing Zidane’s previous shirt did not mean he was trying to emulate the French midfield maestro, who went on to win three Champions Leagues as Real Madrid’s manager.

    “The (Madrid) shirt itself is enough pressure … for me it’s a bit of homage to a great player,” said Bellingham.

    “Maybe I can extend the legacy of the number, instead of trying to reach his.”

    Bellingham has plenty of other reference points still at the club to learn from, including veteran midfielders Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
    “The things I’ll gain especially from the two older lads, Modric and Kroos, will be unbelievable, with their knowledge of the game,” said Bellingham.

    “I’ll be like a sponge around them, trying to steal anything they’ve got. They’ll probably get annoyed with me.”

    – ‘Goosebumps’ –
    The England international, who shone at the Qatar World Cup last winter, broke through as a 16-year-old at Birmingham City, who retired his shirt number after he moved to Dortmund in 2020 for 25 million euros.

    Bellingham said he had other options on the table but quickly decided Real Madrid was his best option.

    He said he wanted to stay out of his comfort zone, even though a return to England would have been an easy choice to make.“I’d always been aware of the interest from England, that’s pretty normal, but it was a bit of a surprise when my dad sat me down and told me, 12 to 15 months ago that you’ve had a bit of interest from Real Madrid,” said the midfielder.

    “I had goosebumps, my heart was close to stopping. When that manifests itself it’s such an amazing feeling.”

    Bellingham, who turns 20 in June, was named the player of the season in the Bundesliga as he led Dortmund to the verge of the title, although they were pipped by giants Bayern Munich on the final day of the season.

    The player said both learning and winning trophies was his aim at Real Madrid, and brushed off questions about his large transfer fee.

    “It doesn’t matter how much you come here for, the objective is the same, to help Real Madrid win trophies and keep being the biggest club in the world,” said Bellingham.“I’m a footballer, not a lawyer or an accountant, my job is to play on the pitch.”

  • Borussia Dortmund sack Lucien Favre after Stuttgart defeat

    Borussia Dortmund sack Lucien Favre after Stuttgart defeat

    Borussia Dortmund have sacked head coach Lucien Favre after their 5-1 home defeat to Stuttgart.

    It was Dortmund’s fourth defeat of the campaign, and left them five points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.

    Favre, who took charge at Dortmund after leaving French club Nice in July 2018, had led the club the last 16 of the Champions League as group winners.

    Assistant coach Edin Terzic will take charge of Dortmund until the end of the season and will lead the club for the first time against Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Tuesday.

    Michael Zorc, Dortmund’s sporting director, said the club’s board came to the unanimous decision due to the “great risk” to the team’s targets for the season.

    Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said: “We are all grateful to Lucien Favre for the superb job he has done over the last two-and-a-half years, achieving two runner-up finishes with his team.

    “As a professional and as a person, Lucien Favre is beyond reproach.”

    Favre, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season, labelled the defeat to newly-promoted Stuttgart a “disaster”.

    Speaking after the game, the 63-year-old Swiss said: “It was bad. We weren’t good at winning the ball. We made too many big mistakes. It’s hard to explain. If you’re not good at winning the ball, and I mean the whole team, then you have a problem.”

    Favre, who previously worked at Hertha Berlin and Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga, and his assistant Manfred Stefes were informed of the club’s decision to dismiss them following the defeat on Saturday.

    Dortmund, who finished second last season, have won only one of their past five games in the German top flight.

    The club have lost six of their eight games at home without fans. They had lost just one in 32 at home under Favre with fans in the stands.

  • England call up Borussia Dortmund midfielder

    England call up Borussia Dortmund midfielder

    The 17-year-old midfielder was originally included in the U21 squad, but will now link up with the senior team ahead of the games against Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Iceland.

    Bellingham has impressed since making a summer switch from Birmingham City to Dortmund, featuring in 10 matches, scoring once.

    It caps an incredible rise for Bellingham, who only finished his first full campaign of senior football last season.

    During his debut season with Birmingham, Bellingham became a lynchpin of his boyhood club’s midfield and featured 44 times, scoring four goals.

    Despite being without Ward-Prowse and Alexander-Arnold, England manager Gareth Southgate is hopeful he will be able to call upon Marcus Rashford.

    The striker is scheduled to report for duty on Thursday to allow for further assessment on an injury sustained in Manchester United’s 3-1 victory over Everton last Saturday.

    READ ALSO: Klopp spent just two days working on Liverpool’s fab four unleashed against Man City

    The majority of the squad arrived at St. George’s Park on Monday with Ben Chilwell, Eric Dier, Harry Kane, Kyle Walker, Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling due to report on Tuesday.

    England face Republic of Ireland at Wembley on Thursday before travelling to Belgium on Sunday and welcoming Iceland on Wednesday to complete UEFA Nations League Group A2.

    Sky Sports News reported on Monday England may have to forfeit their final Nations League group game against Iceland, with UEFA expected to sanction Denmark’s fixture with the Icelanders on Sunday.

    Currently, the UK Government will not allow any of Iceland’s players into the country to play the game if they have been in Denmark – where a new strain of coronavirus has been linked to the country’s mink farms.

    Elsewhere, England U21 manager Aidy Boothroyd has added Everton duo Ben Godfrey and Tom Davies to his squad, but will be without Norwich defender Max Aarons for the matches against Andorra on Friday and Albania on Tuesday.

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  • Borussia Dortmund set to host 10,000 fans in their Bundesliga opening match

    Covid-19: Borussia Dortmund set to host 10,000 fans in their Bundesliga opening match

    German football giants, Borussia Dortmund have announced it will be hosting a crowd of 10,000 people during Saturday’s opening Bundesliga clash at Signal Iduna Park.

    The move comes after Bundesliga clubs were permitted by the German government to allow fans to return to stadiums for the start of the 2020-21 season in Germany amid the coronavirus pandemic.

    Borussia Dortmund’s season-opening Bundesliga fixture at home to Borussia Monchengladbach will now be played in front of 10,000 supporters, as the new government rule states that up to 20 per cent of stadium capacity can be used, while strict hygiene requirements will be imposed, and alcohol banned.

    Away fans will not be allowed to attend, though a game would be forced back behind closed doors if the infection rate in the home city is too high over a seven-day period.

    The 2019-20 campaign resumed behind closed doors in May due to Covid-19, which forced the league to be postponed in March.

    Covid-19: Borussia Dortmund set to host 10,000 fans in their Bundesliga opening match

    During the match, only Dortmund or North Rhine-Westphalia residents will be granted access.

    “The Bundesliga teams, but also the clubs and associations of other sports, can be very happy today, and we definitely have this feeling at BVB,” said Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke in a statement.

    “I would like to thank everyone in politics who contributed to today’s decision in the past few weeks. At the same time, I feel a great obligation that we as clubs, together with the fans involved, will handle this probationary period extremely responsibly in the coming weeks. The now approved partial re-admission of viewers is in any case a very important step for all football fans in Germany. “

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    Jadon Sancho is staying –Borussia Dortmund manager tells Manchester United

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  • Jadon Sancho is staying –Borussia Dortmund manager tells Manchester United

    Jadon Sancho is staying –Borussia Dortmund manager tells Manchester United

    Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre has told Manchester United that Jadon Sancho has decided to stay for another season.

    The 20-year-old is United’s priority target for the remainder of the transfer window but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have refused to meet Dortmund’s €120 million (£108m) asking price.

    Dortmund had set a deadline of August 10 for United to complete a deal for Sancho as the Bundesliga club wanted the winger’s future resolved before the team began their pre-season training camp in Switzerland.

    Reports are claiming that United are now exploring other options to Sancho, with Gareth Bale, Ivan Perisic and Douglas Costa all potential alternatives.

    Gareth Bale’s stance on Manchester United move as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer targets Jadon Sancho alternative.

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    And Favre insists everyone at Dortmund are ‘happy’ that Sancho will be remaining with them for another campaign. ‘We need him, no question,’ Favre told Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA.

    Everyone was happy that he stayed. We don’t need to talk long about its qualities – they are enormous. ‘He scores and sets up a lot of goals and can often make all the difference. ‘But there are some details that Sancho needs to improve. That is quite normal for a 20-year-old.’

    Favre has also been impressed by Jude Bellingham, who opted to join Dortmund instead of United earlier this year. ‘Of course, I’m looking forward to a player like him,’ said Favre.

    ‘I got to know him better during the preparation. I like how he handles the ball and how he can defend it. ‘Jude possesses many tactical options and an amazing presence. ‘He can play as a six or eight, plays good passes, seeks completion. Various systems are possible with him. It’s all very, very interesting.’

  • Haaland sensational in giving Borussia Dortmund 2-1 win over PSG

    Haaland sensational in giving Borussia Dortmund 2-1 win over PSG

    Borussia Dortmund teenager Erling Haaland scored twice in eight minutes on Tuesday to lead his German club to a 2-1 victory over Paris St-Germain (PSG).

    In their 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg game in Dortmund, the Norwegian stabbed in from close range after a quick-fire passing move in the 69th minute.

    The 19-year-old who joined in the winter has already netted eight times in five Bundesliga matches.

    He then thundered in an unstoppable shot for his second goal in the 77th, two minutes after PSG’s Brazilian forward Neymar had levelled for the French champions.

    Haaland, the first Borussia Dortmund player to score in his first league, German Cup and Champions League matches, has reached 10 goals in seven games in Europe’s elite competition this season.

    These included eight for Salzburg in the group stage, and it is faster than anyone.

    He is only the second teenager to net 10 Champions League goals, after Kylian Mbappe, and is the first teenager to score 10 in a single campaign in the competition.

    “I still need to improve, keep working,” Haaland said. “I want to go far in the Champions League. With the second goal I enjoyed the moment.”

    PSG, who were eliminated at this stage of the competition in the previous three seasons, had fit-again Neymar and Mbappe back in the starting line-up.

    But they were almost completely shut out by an extremely efficient Borussia Dortmund backline.

    In a cautious first half, the French side had the slight advantage in possession.

    But Dortmund carved out the only real chance after 27 minutes with a curled shot from Jadon Sancho.

    Mbappe and Neymar were kept under tight surveillance.

    Borussia Dortmund defenders Mats Hummels, Lukasz Piszczek —- on his 350th appearance for the club in all competitions —- and Dan Axel Zagadou denying the pair any space to manoeuvre.

    The Germans’ main firepower, Haaland, was also shackled for about an hour before he finally found some space to complete a quick Borussia Dortmund move.

    PSG, who will be without Marco Verratti and Thomas Meunier for the return leg after they picked up bookings, drew level through Neymar.

    The Brazilian found the net after a fine run down the right by Mbappe.

    He also later hit the post.

    But the visitors could do nothing when 17-year-old substitute Giovanni Reyna found Haaland at the edge of the box.

    The in-form forward released a fiercely-struck left foot effort that gave PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas no chance.

    The return leg is in Paris on March 11.(Reuters/NAN)

  • Neymar set to play against Borussia Dortmund, PSG coach says

    Neymar set to play against Borussia Dortmund, PSG coach says

    Paris St-Germain (PSG) forward Neymar is expected to play on Tuesday against Borussia Dortmund in their UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg tie after overcoming a rib injury.

    PSG coach Thomas Tuchel disclosed this on Monday.

    The Brazilian did not play in the club’s 4-4 Ligue 1 draw at Amiens over the weekend when Tuchel rested some other players.

    “He is here (in Dortmund). He will train and if all goes well he will play tomorrow (Tuesday). Because for us it changes almost everything when he plays and I hope he will play,” said Tuchel.

    PSG have been knocked out at this stage in the past three seasons and are desperate to leave a mark on the competition.

    “(Neymar) changes everything because if he plays we have his quality and confidence and ability to do (the) decisive.

    “It changes everything… because if he does not play we have no other player with that quality to replace him.”

    Tuchel, who coached Borussia Dortmund for two seasons before going to Paris, will need to devise a plan to stop the Germans’ formidable attack.

    They have scored 22 goals in their five Bundesliga games this year.

    “It is absolutely necessary to play with a lot of confidence in this stadium with such fans and such an opponent. Otherwise, you cannot survive,” he added before the clash at Signal Iduna Park.

    “We have the team spirit to overcome difficult situations, adapt to different scenarios. That’s the key.”

    PSG are under extreme pressure to finally deliver in Europe after spending big money on players in the past few seasons to build a winning squad.

    They came agonisingly close to a quarter-final spot last year only to be eliminated by Manchester United with a stoppage-time penalty kick in the second leg.

    “If you lose in the round of 16 for three years and you arrive for a fourth time it is clear it is not the same situation,” Tuchel said.

    “Every year has its story and maybe we have to accept that it is sport. There are doctors, much more important professions, we play sports but it happens that you lose.

    “Maybe later we can breathe a bit easier. We are here and it is important to make the most of it.”(Reuters/NAN)

  • Dortmund snap up ex-Liverpool midfielder Can from Juventus

    Dortmund snap up ex-Liverpool midfielder Can from Juventus

    Borussia Dortmund have signed German international midfielder Emre Can from Italian champions Juventus, the Bundesliga club said on Friday.

    The 26-year-old former Liverpool player completed his medical check-up before signing for Dortmund, initially on a loan deal until June.

    Juventus said Dortmund will pay one million euros ($1.11 million) for the loan deal until the end of the season before being obliged to purchase the player in a deal which could rise as high as 25 million euros.

    “I think the team has great potential and can win something,” said Can, who began his career with Bayern Munich before moving to Bayer Leverkusen and then Liverpool in 2014. (Reuters/NAN)