Original subtitles

FEBRUARY 2019

I don't think getting knocked out of the German Cup

was a big blow to the group's morale.

I think Dortmund realized that if Marco Reus isn't available,

or if the first-choice goalie is injured, it gets difficult.

Unfortunately Marco will be out for a while.

The injury has turned out to be a torn muscle.

He won't be available for the next few matches.

We have an important match against Hoffenheim.

They've always been tough opposition for us.

Then we travel to Tottenham in the Champions League.

It's a bitter loss for us to be without Marco,

not just because of his goals, but also because

of his presence on the pitch, he's always led the way.

He's someone who will still sprint in the last 10 minutes

and who is willing to work very defensively for the team as well.

It will be a big challenge for us to replace him in the next two games.

MATCHDAY 21

In the run-up, there were hints that Lucien wasn't feeling well.

Several players missed the cup match due to illness.

And it got really acute the day before the match,

when Lucien wasn't at training.

We met up at the hotel, but then we were informed

that Lucien was banned by the doctor

from taking part at the match due to the risk of infection.

We tried to respond as if Lucien was there.

When we got the rival team's lineup, we immediately called Lucien

to discuss what formation we could expect

and what information we should give our lads before the kick-off.

So we were reassured and didn't feel completely alone.

It was the first time that the manager wasn't there in the stadium.

You're always keyed up, but it's a different situation for everyone

on the bench and on the pitch when the manager isn't in the dugout.

Come on, Mario, on you go.

I wear the headset every game

and I'm always linked up to Serdar, the video analyst.

That game was special, as Serdar was on the phone with Lucien.

So we had the information that Lucien was giving to Serdar.

It wasn't total "Chinese Whispers", but basically

the information was passed on to me,

I passed it on to the bench through Manni,

and we tried to influence the game and find solutions.

Reus missed that match, after getting injured against Bremen, and no one knew

how Dortmund's attack would fare without the Bundesliga's current best player.

For quite a while we were of the opinion: very well.

It was a very good first half. We had lots of chances, we won the ball a lot

and made a very confident impression on me.

HALF TIME

I was responsible for the half-time analysis, and I showed

individual clips to the players.

With the lads who don't speak German, I do it all again in English.

There are two options. Either he attacks you or he does.

He usually comes up.

What we need now, if he's coming out of position...

If you're playing side by side here, offer one side.

Then we have to really run at Hübner or Bičakčić,

so they don't have lots of time to play the long ball.

Alright?

Both ways are possible. It works the way we always play it,

with our wide players pressing. That works.

But then we must all move across. If we close down Schulz, who is here,

then everyone must move across. Or he'll play a through ball at once.

Then Rapha definitely has to go in as well. Okay?

We were very satisfied with the first half,

knowing that Hoffenheim is the most dangerous team in the second half,

statistically.

Especially in the first 15 minutes they're dangerous and score many goals.

We mentioned that at half time to alert the lads to that.

Abdou, from the 45th to the 60th minute they're good and score lots of goals.

They're going to come back out there, maybe with a new formation.

You'll have to watch out for that.

We wanted to extend our lead of course,

but unfortunately football doesn't always go to plan.

We want to get the third goal. Okay?

Got it?

Come on, defend well, defend well. Keep defending well.

In the first period, we were in the opponents' half,

and even if the scoreline was still to our advantage,

we were playing in our own half in the second period.

We were lucky a few times,

but then we started to counter. It was a different game.

I was still a little sick that day. I was watching at home with friends.

I was upbeat, even though we had gone out against Bremen a few days before.

But in football, you get phases or games

where you're over-confident and you think

a few percent less will be enough.

Even after going 3-0 down, Hoffenheim kept on playing that day.

We had a chance to make it 4-0, which would have been game over.

Little, little mistakes. 3-1 was okay.

They accepted it at once. The players said, "It happens."

Going to 3-2, that was an obvious mistake.

The players were afraid, because it was 3-2.

The problem was that we had to win.

You forget to keep playing. You make mistakes,

beacuse you're no longer as focused on the game.

"What do we have to do?"

You think, "If they score a third goal, what then?"

You have to think differently. You have to defend calmly.

And then the third goal is completely unnecessary.

Not only against Hoffenheim. Sadly, we've conceded unnecessary goals.

Those are mistakes you can't afford at this level.

At our final training session yesterday, I felt there were many balls

that weren't defended well, especially from set pieces.

And unfortunately that was the case again today.

In general with crosses, the opponent got to the ball too often.

Every game throws up issues for us as coaches,

which we try to address in the time after.

And this is an issue we are addressing,

that we are working on even harder now.

As I said, offensive players like Jadon and...

and all the others did a good job.

But attacking players also have to defend.

That wasn't good today.

It ended up 3-3. They conceded three goals,

and they didn't really know what happened in the final 20 minutes.

Losing a 3-0 lead right after going out of the Cup against Bremen

was the second blow within a few days. That left a mark.

You can't watch TV

and see your team playing, and you're so...

But the doctor said I had to stay home, or else I might

infect everyone else. I didn't want that.

You have to stay at home. It's very, very strange.

It's very hard. There are moments in life that are hard to describe.

Feeling emptiness, disappointment and frustration is very human,

because we all tried our hardest to beat Hoffenheim.

It didn't work out.

And at that moment you feel terrible.

Tottenham have a track record that is a bit unsettling for Dortmund.

Last season in the Champions League under Peter Bosz

they had no chance against them, as they are a team

who know exactly how to hurt Dortmund.

They can switch extremely quickly and launch very quick counterattacks.

That isn't always easy for Borussia Dortmund to defend against.

REUS OUT FOR 10 MORE DAYS!

"NO LIMITS FOR US" Of the eight possible fixtures,

Tottenham was the second most difficult. Liverpool the most difficult.

But I still think that we don't have to hide from Tottenham Hotspur at all.

CEO Even if these prophecies surface,

that German football is doomed.

The odd end to the Hoffenheim match

made them lose their rhythm and their flow.

They traveled to Tottenham...

Of the Champions League duels between the Bundesliga and the Premier League

this was the most evenly-matched tie.

Given Bayern Munich's season, Liverpool looked like they were better.

With Man City versus Schalke there was no question.

But Tottenham versus Dortmund looked like a 50-50 match.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUND OF 16 - 1st LEG

When I went on to the pitch at the stadium yesterday, I was a bit queasy,

because the last time I was here, in 2013,

DIRECTOR OF CONTRACT PLAYER DEPARTMENT we lost the Champions League final.

And you can feel the tension rising.

Our football is often characterized by exhilarating offensive play.

We have incredible quality, but we mustn't forget to defend.

That was a bitter experience in the last two matches.

I think the lads are focused and know what's at stake,

because it's possible to ruin everything in two competitions within one week.

We don't want that to happen today.

When I watch at home, I sweat more than when I'm on the pitch,

because it affects me more, because I think about things more and see more,

and I get annoyed when things don't work out.

So the 2nd half was bitter, because we were evenly matched in the 1st half.

In the 2nd half we stopped playing football

and defending like we did in the 1st.

We made two mistakes in the 47th minute, which led to us going 1-0 down.

From there, the team

- and internationally maturity is more important than domestically -

couldn't shake it off and conceded more goals.

We've seen that before. It happened when we were champions in '11/12.

We went out in the group stage in both years. It's part of the learning curve.

With the goals they scored,

they played to their strengths, their physical presence on the pitch.

We didn't win a lot of one-on-one duels.

We knew they were dangerous in the center and at set pieces.

And that's how it was in the 2nd half.

I think we certainly have to work on that,

as it's not the first time we've conceded goals like that.

In the end they fell apart.

You have to put it that way, if you ship two goals in the dying minutes,

losing 3-0 and robbing yourself of any chance in the return leg at home.

THE END OF CASUAL EASE

DORTMUND HAMMERED AT WEMBLEY

A BITTER NIGHT IN LONDON

RED ALERT

TRUE LOVE.

Marco has a muscle tear in the rectus femoris.

We did an MRI scan today and we were hoping

we wouldn't find any fluid anymore

and that maybe it wasn't as bad as it looked at first.

But unfortunately that wasn't the case.

So we decided to approach the rehab less aggressively.

If it was the Champions League final, with six weeks off afterwards,

I'd definitely risk it.

There's no great reason not to,

but in one or two places there's still some fluid.

With an edema the risk is too great, both for me and the doctor,

that if I did play and in the 60th or 65th minute

I sprinted or took a shot, the tear would open up again.

Then I'd be back to square one, facing a three-week break.

So I've learned a bit from the past.

Knee to the chest, walk to the ball.

Then in three-step rhythm.

Cross over. There and back.

Over the last week, we've built up his running,

increasing the intensity and then we added in the ball.

Now it's a case of developing movement patterns,

bringing in changes of direction, slowly working up to sprints,

and getting him back into team training.

We have to start ball work late in the rehab,

because with the rectus,

shooting is what poses the risk. And unfortunately he has to shoot.

Skip with double contact.

We didn't win our most recent games,

which we're not used to, as the first half of the season went perfectly.

We're in the same phase that Bayern had in the first half of the season.

We're not seeing games out and we're making mistakes that cost goals.

Sideways, stabilize.

Three times per leg. Keep it short.

When I'm out injured and feel that I was in good form,

it's frustrating that I can't help the team now,

when they maybe need my input.

We have enough players who have certain quality.

This is the acid test.

If we want to succeed, we must step into the breach for each other.

You have no other choice if another key player is out.

Take the ball and move freely a bit.

It would be unfair to the other players to say,

"The team's only half as good." The squad has too much quality for that.

But Marco Reus is something of a talisman for the team.

He's having an outstanding season,

he's doing what he does best from his favorite position,

and he's putting in a good performance in almost every game he plays.

There's a psychological effect when he's out,

which is the idea, "He's our most important player

and we struggle without him."

Dribble through the posts with the ball.

There was a big discussion in recent years

when Marco didn't join for a major tournament.

As the national team, Germany has a far bigger pool of outstanding players,

and yet people still feel the German team really misses Marco Reus

at the World Cup or the European Championship.

When we have to do without Marco Reus, the impact on us is even greater

than on the national team.

Move freely.

Marco's availability is an issue for everyone.

People often ask how it's looking for him.

But at the end of the day, we have more than one player on the pitch.

The lads have to manage without Marco. But there is pressure on him.

Working with him, you notice he's very eager.

He's also cautious with some things. Then there's the pressure on him.

He doesn't really let it show. He keeps a cool head with it.

I've often put pressure on myself

because I wanted to return from an injury

straight to the highest level to help the team.

There's media pressure, as everyone says we'll be fine once I'm back.

But it isn't that simple in soccer.

Borussia Dortmund is a traditional club in the Ruhrgebiet.

And there's no other region in Germany where football is followed

so intensely by people in the region, in the city, as in the Ruhrgebiet.

You have to understand that,

to make sense of the history of Borussia Dortmund.

There have always been upheavals, there have always been big dramas.

In the mid-1960s, the first economic crisis hit the Ruhrgebiet.

There was an ebb in the flow of big financial support

from the mines and steel works to the clubs in the area.

And football had changed radically with the launch of the Bundesliga.

In '69 we were playing to avoid relegation.

And sadly it got to the point

where the team was no longer able to compete at the highest level.

Borussia Dortmund went through

the same upheavals as the region.

CEO And that forges a bond.

But then we suffered quite a big blow,

which was a severe test for me. We relegated in '72.

That wasn't part of the plan. I was 13 then, a child of the Bundesliga.

It was a tough time for me.

I was born and bred here.

If you like football, you're automatically a Borussia fan.

In the League Two days I'd be there in the south stand,

with a scarf my grandmother had knitted.

The opposing teams were Barmbek-Uhlenhorst,

or Spielvereinigung Fürth, who still existed then.

It was a catastrophe, if I think about it,

playing in League Two as a young man,

traveling to the depths of the local region.

You went to Lüner SV, to Lüdenscheid, twice to Gütersloh...

You played Eintracht Gelsenkirchen. It really couldn't get any worse.

But hey, you had to get through it. And we got laughed at everywhere.

"The Dortmund idiots, winners of the Cup Winners' Cup six years ago."

That's how it was.

I remember being there live,

in Nuremberg, June 17, 1976,

and June 23, we beat Nuremberg 3-2 in the return leg.

We were back in the Bundesliga. I was 17.

One of my happiest days. The world was in order again.

That time in League Two was basically the just reward,

because there were big changes,

when the whole direction of German football changed,

with the launch of the Bundesliga, that Dortmund totally missed.

They were behind and needed a long time to catch up with those changes.

We always had big-name managers, also at that time.

Udo Lattek joined us in the '70s.

Guys, keep going! Without the ball.

Branco Zebec, a great connoisseur of football, who very sadly

didn't stay here for long because of his illness.

That could have come to something, as he taught quite a lot

to the players of the time, Burgsmüller, Abramczik, Klotz, Rüssmann.

But there was no great breakthrough then.

In addition, there were massive financial problems.

At the end of the '70s, Reinhard Rauball had to come in for the first time,

facing a very precarious situation and acting as a restructuring expert.

The headlines Borussia Dortmund were making then were generally negative.

Initially I learned the hard way. The club was rudderless for six months.

The head of the Dortmund Stadtsparkasse invited me to a lavish meal

and pitched the idea to me, asking me if I could imagine doing it.

Of course, I turned him down,

because I was 32, a lawyer here in Dortmund with a young family

and I had a different mid-term outlook on what I should and shouldn't do.

But then I made a crucial mistake and said,

"If you can't find anyone, you can come by."

Once I'd gone, I think he raised his arms in the air and said,

"The search is over, we found someone. We just need to wait."

A deferential delay. And that's how it went.

Then in the '85/86 season we were in danger of being relegated.

It was only the genius of the "Cobra", of Jürgen Wegmann,

that saved Borussia Dortmund from being relegated again,

with an incredible equalizer in the dying moments

of the play-off match against Fortuna Köln.

We'd lost the first leg 2-0 in Cologne.

We were leading 2-1 in the second leg. That score would have meant relegation.

Then in the very last minute, or the very last second,

we scored the equalizer. Anderbrügge crossed the ball in,

and Jürgen Wegmann, the "Cobra", managed to score the goal we needed.

The roars here went on forever.

That meant there was a third match.

That was a decisive win, we won 8-0, and that meant we stayed in.

GERMAN CUP FINAL 1989

I think 1989 was a year of destiny.

Not only for Germany in general, but also particularly for Borussia Dortmund.

The German Cup victory, winning against Werder Bremen,

as the underdog, in the final in Berlin,

the very last cup final in a divided Berlin...

That was something very special.

Before the game, the Dortmund line-up

was still unclear, as Norbert Dickel, our established center forward,

had a long-standing knee injury.

It was a meniscus and cartilage injury.

In and of itself, not a dramatic injury.

But in the end it got so bad that I could never play properly again.

The doctors patched him up so that he could take to the field.

That was a stroke of luck for us,

as Nobby scored two goals that will be remembered for eternity.

Bremen had an excellent team and took the lead. Then with Nobby,

we turned the game around.

There were unbelievable eruptions of emotion,

because in 23 years, not much had happened in terms of Dortmund soccer.

Frank Mill's goal then made it 2-1.

And then came the most phenomenal goal of that final,

was when Frank Mill passed the ball from the right-hand side.

It looped across, and Nobby just leathered it

and the ball zipped into the net, making it 3-1, all but assuring victory.

GERMAN CUP WINNERS 1989

Everyone who was there

says that that title was a very important one,

perhaps the most emotional one that Dortmund ever won.

Although Dortmund won bigger titles before and since.

But many people say that, in terms of emotional significance

for the club and the fans, this was the most important one.

They were almost overrun.

The team flew back from Berlin

and received a message on the way,

"We don't know how many people are waiting for you. Brace yourselves."

And indeed there were mass celebrations, people were really partying.

I do see the cup win in '89

as a kind of initial spark

into a much more successful era for Borussia Dortmund.

MATCHDAY 22

The last few days have been hard for us. We had to shake it off.

But we did that well after the Tottenham game.

It took a while, but we analyzed it well.

If you have something to say to someone, you should say it.

If I have something to say to you, I'll say it to your face.

I won't talk behind your back, that's not good.

I prefer to be frank with people,

whether they like that or not.

That's not my problem. I'm that kind of person.

I sat down in the dressing room with Marco, Axel and Lukas Piszczek

and we said it was time to talk with the whole team,

tell them what a good chance we have this year. They must all realize that.

That we can pull ourselves together, because we know we can,

as we proved it in the first 18 matches. We have to keep going.

It was before the Nuremberg game. We told the team what we thought.

We tried to get it across in a positive way.

Just being negative doesn't help. Some players take that the wrong way.

So we tried to get it across in a positive way.

I think the team pretty much understood.

It's all quite co-operative. No one was acting the big shot.

We said, "Guys, we have to start performing on the pitch again."

It all begins with seriousness and respect.

We can't allow any delays anymore. We've had enough.

GOALKEEPER We must focus on the task at hand.

I didn't come here to say, "I play in the Bundesliga, cool."

No, I came to this club to win titles.

We were unlucky not to win. Luck was on our side in the 1st half of the season.

The goalkeeper did well.

Still, when I get scoring opportunities, it would be good if one went in.

Playing away against the bottom team and not winning three points is bitter.

He created the situation really well. Mario was involved in the game,

always available up front. But yes...

We had no real punch. Now and then a bit overcomplicated up front.

It's hard from the outside. The game ended 10 minutes ago,

and we're all trying to find a solution. We may not find one tonight, but...

It still hurts a bit.

After the triple-setback of Bremen, Hoffenheim and Tottenham

they only took one point in Nuremberg.

And the way that game went, it was a fitting result.

They simply didn't get the ball in the opposition's goal.

It was obvious what Marco Reus can add, the way he splits defenses.

It was a very gloomy February, basically, the way it turned out.

I was at the academy at Standard Liege,

and we were on the way to the academy.

You could see the stadium in the mirror, and I said, "I'll play there one day."

That was at the age of nine or ten.

It was a dream, but also my goal, even though I was so young.

But it's what I really wanted to do.

At 20 I was playing the Anderlecht vs. Standard Liege match.

That's the classic, like Bayern Munich against Dortmund,

or Schalke vs. Dortmund. A great rivalry.

There was contact in a duel and unfortunately I broke a player's leg.

Afterwards was the worst period of my career.

Especially regarding the media. It was hard for me and my family. I was young.

They tried to finish me off, to really hurt both me and my family.

From that moment on, I really became aware

of having to be careful with the media.

I thought about it a lot afterwards. Mentally I was then...

ten years ahead of other players, because it was really difficult.

I came here for the project, but also to be a team leader.

We have really talented young players,

but I think the club also needs someone with more experience

to support Marco, Mario, Piszczek and Schmelzer.

I think I've fulfilled my role well so far.

I always try to give all I can and to help the youngsters to progress.

Hello. - Hello. - So, how's it going?

Good, and you? - Good too, thank you.

We'll start today with our lesson.

Then we'll talk about your homework from last time.

Let's talk about our vocabulary first. Okay? Fine.

Did you learn yours, Axel? - A bit. - A bit. And Paco?

Also a bit.

Okay, good.

I've traveled a lot to different countries, different cultures.

I speak English, French, Spanish, Portuguese. Four languages.

Obviously, with Paco or Hakimi, who also speak Spanish,

when they don't know how to say things, I'm their "translator".

I'm there to help them. And obviously speaking several languages helps.

What's this? - Face? - Perfect. "Das Gesicht."

Forehead.

Forehead. - Right. This is the forehead.

Your forehead. That's "die Stirn". Perfect. What's this?

The nose? - Nose. - Good. I'd like us to read out loud for a bit.

"Every morning she gets up early

and goes into the chicken coop."

"Hühnerstall." - Hühnerstall.

"She collects fresh eggs."

German isn't easy. It's a question of just daring to speak it.

Whether you're in the dressing room or shopping in town.

You have to dare and not be timid, even if you make mistakes.

It's normal to make mistakes when you learn a new language.

I'm sure I'll end up speaking good German, but I'll need a bit more time.

MATCHDAY 23

People forget we've only lost one match in the Bundesliga.

If you have three draws, and then lose the fourth match,

ASSISTANT COACH then you haven't won in four games.

If you have three draws, then win the fourth match,

then you're unbeaten in four games.

That's the public perception. So it's very, very important

that after a run of draws you end that run with a win.

The pressure before the Leverkusen game was huge. We knew we needed 3 points.

At home, you have to win. You can't lower your guard.

DIRECTOR OF CONTRACT PLAYER DEPARTMENT Leverkusen were having a good run.

They showed at the weekend how strong they can be.

We were poor for the first half hour. Leverkusen put pressure on us.

They ran us ragged, they pressed high.

We couldn't find our way into the game,

we weren't contesting the one-on-ones.

We lost our shape. There was a lot we didn't do well today.

We were lucky they didn't take the lead. We went 1-0 up at the right moment.

I don't score often. But scoring in front of the home fans is fantastic.

Incredible. I don't think I'll experience it often, so I relish it.

Leverkusen was one of the few games in the Bundesliga season

where we didn't have much possession. We chased the ball a lot.

We relied more on the counterattack. So it wasn't a typical match for us.

Then going 2-1 up. Jadon scored a good goal from a cross from Abdu.

But we didn't play with the conviction we would have liked.

It was a good moment to score our third. It was in an important phase.

I was very glad to score again,

especially since I missed a few chances in the last match.

That goal, where Tah was completely unmarked,

can't be allowed to happen. We'd practiced that in training.

But if you really assume

he can't take a direct shot, he'll cross it in...

Maybe we should set up the wall differently,

as our strongest guys in the air were in the wall.

It bugs us all. We must look at that. I was also involved in the mistake.

We practice that a lot, which is why we don't want that to happen.

I told the team at 3-2, "Keep playing the same way.

Sure, that wasn't good, but let's not lose our heads, we're still in front.

We have to see this out. We can't always score another goal."

I think we did that well.

Roman helped us with a few good saves.

It's very important for our confidence that we won today.

When the final whistle went, that was very important.

So that's probably why everyone's celebrations were so euphoric today.

The bottom line is three extremely important points at this stage,

because it's heating up around us. Bayern won yesterday as well,

and so every win, every point is extremely important.

But you have to get through phases like these.

But I'm still glad Marco will be at training again tomorrow.

Hopefully he can play on Friday,

and we'll have another weapon up front, that I hope can help us at the weekend.

Usually Markus tells me in advance what problems the player has.

Or the anthropometric data from Anke on how his weight has changed.

I often have muscle mass, blood test results, so I have some data in advance.

Then I always ask for documentation over three days,

where each meal and each snack is photographed.

I used to have people write it all down, but it's much simpler

to take a photo before each meal. Everyone usually has a phone on them.

And to add what it is and what they drink.

It's extremely important for us to know that,

because the players are banned from taking phones into the dining room.

If we get notification about it from you,

then we can protect that player.

Otherwise if the manager sees him, he'll be punished.

We want to change the mindset. They must understand that some things

are not good for the group.

Phones at meals are disruptive. We want them to engage with each other,

to swap ideas. Discipline is important.

It's also been agreed with the manager

that we control things.

It's quite important for me to gauge the portion sizes.

Sure, of course. One player talked to me about that.

We've introduced new rules, but if it concerns these matters...

Yes, of course. So we just have to know.

Sure, other players might take advantage of that.

If certain things aren't upheld, including with the medical work,

if a player is always looking at his phone and isn't paying attention,

then he'll be reprimanded by me accordingly.

I also pass that on to the treasurer of the team.

Then there's a financial penalty at least, which I think is appropriate

in addition to our well-meaning, objective efforts to convince players

that they have to focus on the job.

I do make sure that there's still a bit of discipline.

I wish you'd support that and not undermine it,

because you have the disciplinary power and unfortunately I don't.

To give them warnings or exclude them.

You have to keeps things under control. I think we do.

There are always exceptions. Ultimately that's not important.

What's important is that you don't have any lapses on the pitch.

That has to be sanctioned, and there are rules about that.

If everyone does what they want, it doesn't work.

But there's a saying,

"At Barcelona, training starts when Messi is on the pitch." And...

that says quite a lot.

Let's go through the players, as we've always done.

We have two-hour morning meetings, before work really starts here.

We get together, once a week in a big group,

when the athletic and rehab departments also attend.

The plan was for him to join in today and to do a full session tomorrow.

Yes. We have to make sure that he also gets

some treatment once or twice this week.

We had to decide at the weekend if Marco can play against Leverkusen.

It was touch and go. We've planned for it. There was a lot of pressure.

I wanted to make a final check.

We'll still be able to adjust things today, but tomorrow...

he'll have to be at full capacity.

The main aim for us

as professionals in top-level sport, is always

to make the most aggressive plan

to get a player back on the pitch

as quickly as possible, but also fit, healthy and able to perform.

Sometimes you lack a single day.

I have to take the responsibility to protect a player from further injury,

and from being sidelined for even longer,

to protect him with factual arguments. Also to protect the player from himself.

Bend forwards now.

And back up again. Right knee to your stomach.

Okay, and down again. Over to one side.

To the other side. Okay.

Now lie on your back.

Everyone is always asking and is eager for him to return.

But this must always hinge on

a rational decision, not an emotional decision.

Marco doesn't always see the rational part of it.

He's more emotional about it and wants to be on the team, on the pitch.

In this case the risk wasn't acceptable.

Move over a little to your left.

Relax a bit. Now push against that. And now the other side.

Okay, good. Now one more time.

You can't feel anything? No difference? - No. - Okay, good.

Up.

Of course there's friction. And discussion. But it's good, because

we're all working hard to get the player fit again as soon as possible.

But, as we saw, Marco needed a few more days.

So the doctor is under pressure. He's medically responsible,

he's in charge of the processes.

Ultimately we have to decide together with the manager

whether to take the risk for a specific match,

and maybe to go beyond the limit. It's a fine line.

This challenge will always exist in top-level sport.

I know how he works. He knows how I react to various situations or injuries,

and to what he does or doesn't say.

TEAM CAPTAIN So that's all well-established.

But I hope there isn't much more to come.

Good. I can't see anything now. No fluid.

Luckily the ultrasound picture showed normal findings.

Normal muscle structures, no scar tissue,

and no fluid. The visual findings are one part,

but functionality is more of a deciding factor.

What has he achieved in rehab? The rehab department will verify that.

The rehab coach was there, too. Yes, and then...

we all confer and give the go-ahead.

Okay, I'm satisfied.

All clear, then? - You've got the all-clear. But please,

as you usually do, keep an eye on it.

But with all hard shots... I'll discuss it with the manager.

All shots and diagonal passes across the whole pitch...

You should be a bit more careful with that,

but you can take part in training and do a full session tomorrow.

Okay? - Yes. Thanks.

I feel fantastic. It's always great after an injury,

whether it's a muscle injury or a different kind of injury,

when the doctor says everything is okay and you're cleared for training.

Go for it. Ciao.

We know that ultimately we can only produce a real top performance

SPORTING DIRECTOR when Marco is also on the pitch.

That makes him so valuable for us. We hope that he

stays injury-free. I'm sure he'll be back in peak condition soon.

He makes the others better too. They like playing with him.

He gives them confidence when he's on the pitch.

We need that.

In 1992 we were runners-up in the league.

No one saw us as contenders. I didn't see us as contenders either.

I remember talking to a well-known manager,

who I was dealing with, and he said to me,

"German champions from the Ruhrgebiet? That will not be possible."

Michael Meier did a good job in the initial phase.

He made some good transfers.

But I think the most important staff decision

that Michael Meier and Gerd Niebaum made was in the manager sector,

namely the signing of Ottmar Hitzfeld.

I was very taken aback by the mentality in the Ruhrgebiet.

I came from Zurich, where I lived,

and people there aren't as open, as direct.

People there don't say, "You look awful today, what's wrong with you?"

I remember in the first few days, there was an old lady at a newspaper stand,

and she said, "Aren't you our manager"?

She said "our" manager. There you see how the public

identifies with Borussia Dortmund.

And I felt at home straight away.

Dr. Niebaum had an ambitious vision.

He said, "We are a sleeping giant,

and we can achieve much more than in the last few years.

We just have to invest. We have to become Number 1 in Germany."

He said that back then.

It was very bold. And he was totally convinced we could succeed.

Dortmund risked it. Meier and Niebaum

first of all signed Stefan Reuter,

then later they also signed Matthias Sammer,

they bought Andreas Möller, they bought Jürgen Kohler...

This method, where you say, "We'll attack now",

with means that Bayern Munich also use,

certainly went some way towards

redressing the balance of power in the Bundesliga somewhat.

MATCHDAY 34, 1994/95

In '94/95, in the first half of the season,

we'd taken a big lead in the table and then

in the second half we had bad luck with injuries.

We were favorites and our lead evaporated.

And we didn't have any strikers left.

Luckily we had good, young players like Lars Ricken.

They then had to pull the chestnuts out of the fire.

We beat Hamburg on the final matchday.

We'd succeeded, but it wasn't in our hands.

How were Bremen doing in Munich?

Everyone had one ear to their radio.

Then a whole stand leapt up, because Bayern had scored

against our rivals, Bremen, and it spread like wildfire.

When the final whistle blew, it was unbelievable.

I've seldom had an explosion like that in my brain. An adrenaline rush.

The way you jump up and run on to the pitch,

with 50,000 people storming the pitch.

Those were scenes of unparalleled rapture.

It took 32 years for Borussia Dortmund to win the trophy again.

There were so many people crying that afternoon in the Westfalen Stadium,

I don't think I've ever seen so many in all my life.

I've never experienced it since. The joy of the fans,

the victory parade through the city...

I think there were 500,000 people out on the streets.

It was unimaginable. I've never experienced anything like it.

Not even at Bayern Munich.

When Bayern become champions, then okay, they're the champions.

But there's never that euphoria. Dortmund is unique.

Then we went on a big parade on a truck through Dortmund, around Borsigplatz.

And when you looked in people's faces from the truck,

those were moments of joy that you yourself were also feeling.

It was an incredible liberation. And the fact that the people

who were lining the route in Dortmund

suddenly said "thank you"...

That...

Yes, you get all emotional.

It was a golden age. That was the period when

Dortmund won the greatest title that it's ever won in the club's history.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL 1997

We were very focused on the way to Munich,

but we were also shadowed by dark clouds in the media,

who were spreading something about Borussia Dortmund like a bad omen,

saying this would be a journey...

to the team's own funeral.

We had a difficult team, and some players with airs and graces,

like Paulo Sousa, who always wanted a special role.

Warming up, he would often run laps in the opposite direction.

The first two or three laps, on principle.

I tolerated a lot, whatever I could account for,

but perhaps I should have clamped down more.

He came to my 40th birthday party, And I said to him,

"Glad you came. And Ottmar, unfortunately

some of your gray hair is because of me. I'm sorry."

He was always a gentleman, even then. But he did also say

words to the effect, "Sure, it wasn't always easy. But we fought to win."

Chappi!

It was a difficult relationship. But I knew Matthias was crucial for the team.

He has a good character and he's obssessed.

And I had to help him a little to be rational.

Dortmund were clearly the underdogs.

Juventus were considered the crème de la crème of European football,

with a star-studded team.

But from the start of the match, Borussia Dortmund found their rhythm

and were suddenly in full flow.

We went 2-0 up through Kalle Riedle.

Then Del Piero pulled it back to 2-1,

and I knew it would be tight.

It was clear Juve would put us under pressure.

I knew I had to do something.

As I was warming up, I kept looking over to Hitzfeld thinking,

"When will you bring me on?"

I was almost annoyed that no one had seen how far Peruzzi

went off his line all the time.

I was thinking, that when I went on,

wherever I was, I'd shoot for goal.

Okay, for it to have happened like that, I couldn't have anticipated that.

Möller, Ricken... Ricken.

Chip it now... Yes!

Five seconds on the pitch! Five seconds!

Lars Ricken!

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS 1997

I was aware of the situation at Borussia Dortmund from meetings with the board.

Michael Meier was very reserved, but the vice-president, Ernst Breer,

he said, "Ottmar, we're not doing that great.

We're going to have to aim lower

and turn the clock back, or else we face ruin."

I already knew the financial situation here was extremely precarious.

The problem with top-level staff and international players

is that they don't come cheap. It costs a lot of money.

The rights and wrongs are for others to decide. I wouldn't have done it.

I thought it would be fatal to operate so close to the edge of the abyss.

And I now know what came of it as a result,

because in 2004 I saw it in black and white,

spelling out the situation.

I'm a manager, and as a manager I was happy

that I got the best players,

and I can't reproach the president

for signing the best Italian and German players.

I benefitted from it, even if the club suffered because of it,

for overextending itself financially.

While I was a manager, I could never imagine

that Borussia Dortmund could become insolvent.

MATCHDAY 24

Borussia Dortmund is in my heart and will never go away,

because I'm a person who is grateful for what he has received.

When Borussia Dortmund play, I suffer with them.

I follow them more intensely than I do anyone else.

Whether they'll become German champions now is also in the balance,

having led by nine points. It's a very difficult situation for the team.

But you have to take a 9-point lead in the first place

and play a great season. If you had said a year ago

that Dortmund would be in first place for a long time,

everyone would have been pleased. You have to acknowledge that.

And the football that Lucien Favre has them play is spectacular.

He puts his faith in young players, he favors fast attacks,

quick counterattacks, and he thrills the fans in the stadium.

To this day, I'm still dressed in black and yellow.

The air up here is very thin and it doesn't forgive

any negligence, any negligence at all.

I said that I am not sure

whether Hakimi or Zagadou know, if little Sancho knows

that the one-on-one duels, where Dortmund haven't looked good lately,

will be the deciding factor today. I don't just mean up front,

but at the back as well. You have to be up for it.

The natural reaction to that was,

"Is that allowed? He's an external consultant for Dortmund!"

And we Germans tend to like strict lines.

So, either I'm a pundit or I'm a club staff member.

If you have two roles, many people have a problem with that.

I think it's good that he dared to do it.

I misjudged the ball's trajectory. I thought I'd get it, but I lost it.

He won the ball, crossed it in, goal. That was it.

I think that as a team in general,

we weren't 100 % aware of what lay ahead of us,

that for Augsburg it was a battle for survival,

and they were using the right tactics. To borrow an analogy from rowing,

the eight, or the eleven, rowed with a stroke rate 50,

while we doing 47 or 48.

We only raised our stroke rate when we realized it was really tight.

When Augsburg play Dortmund, they give everything.

You see eleven dogs of war fighting for every ball,

and against Augsburg it was a real battle.

We made mistakes. So did I. We gifted them the goals.

They were waiting for stray passes from us, so they could counter.

Their tactics worked better than ours.

The interesting thing is that the very players who this season

impressed with such apparent freshness and carefreeness,

like Hakimi or Zagadou, who has made a great improvement this year,

that they suddenly started making bad mistakes.

The kinds of mistake where you say, "For God's sake,

how on earth can that happen in an important Bundesliga match?"

But it showed, despite all their talent, just how young they are.

There was a lack of aggressiveness in the duels.

It wasn't only the two mistakes,

it was the whole thing. If you watch the Augsburg match,

we didn't have that mentality...

Where you fight for every ball, go for the second ball, be aggressive, press.

And yet these are the same players. What changed was the mentality.

That was an unnecessary defeat,

because overall we dominated the match like never before.

We had 75 % of possession.

We had our scoring opportunities,

and unfortunately we didn't take those chances.

And unfortunately we conceded unnecessary goals,

because we made unbelievable mistakes.

We created a lot of scoring opportunities in the last few matches,

but didn't convert them. We have to be more clinical in front of goal,

and score first, because then the games will be easier for us.

Lack of clinical finishing? I think Kobel made some great saves today.

But it just wasn't enough for a team at the top of the Bundesliga.

Roman was right in saying

that it was unworthy of the team at the top of the table. It can't happen again.

To be honest, I don't see it that negatively, because...

You have to recognize that we dominated the match. We had more possession.

Before the program we were wondering

if all the players were aware of what awaited them here.

Hakimi didn't know what he was in for. Sancho, Zagadou...

It's not that Dortmund had no desire. But one team fought for survival,

and the other would have liked to win the match.

One thing is clear. If you don't identify the causes,

in the end you'll wonder why you're a goal or a point short

of the title or of being champions. That's the big difference.

It's open to discussion if Matthias, with his association with us,

can really say that. I didn't find it too bad,

because he didn't insult anyone personally.

And he only expressed what we all saw.

And I think that during the match

he was very emotionally involved and that he blurted it all out.

It's also enthralling for the Eurosport audience to witness that.

But what he said was factually quite right.

Once again, many, many young players playing.

Zagadou is 19...

You can't blame him for that.

But Hakimi too went in a bit... Akanji hurls himself in...

I'm only saying that maybe 0.1 % was lacking,

but sometimes that's the difference. That's how it is.

Matthias often causes a stir

just because of his personality.

I think it's prudent for us to take it in a relaxed and objective way.

Because at that moment,

I see him in the role of a TV pundit and by extension as a journalist,

where he has to say what he sees.

And in this case, I agree with many of the points that he made.

What's ugly is that it gets so blown out of proportion in the media

that you're no longer discussing the content, but only

whether he can say that,

and whether it conflicts with his links to Borussia Dortmund.

That's too highly charged for me. It almost prevents objective discussion.

The content of my observations before the match

EXTERNAL CONSULTANT consisted solely in the statement

that I wasn't sure if the young Borussia Dortmund players in particular

knew what was awaiting them, because the result depended on it,

and possibly the championship.

EPISODE THREE FROM 08.30.2019 ON PRIME VIDEO

Afterwards, he plays here.

No balls, man! We're playing like little children!