Status: 1:03 p.m. | Reading time: 3 minutes
Borussia Dortmund is in shock. Did the team actually lose a safe lead against the provincial club Heidenheim? For the coach in particular, the evening seems like a personal defeat. Especially since a dangerous chasm is opening up.
Most of the autograph hunters who found their way to the entrance to the Borussia Dortmund training ground on Saturday morning waited in vain. The BVB professionals were in a hurry. It was the gleaning of a game on the plan that had caused a shock. In the 2-2 (2-0) win against newly promoted 1. FC Heidenheim the evening before, the runners-up had experienced a relapse into dark times that they thought were long gone: Once again Dortmund had gambled away a victory that seemed certain.
That left me speechless and helpless. “It can’t be explained to any of us,” said sporting director Sebastian Kehl in a first reaction. He seemed uncomfortable. He struggled for words. “You look for reasons, but in the end it must not happen to us. We actually controlled the game, but the way we carelessly let go of it shouldn’t happen to a team like this,” he explained after Dortmund were unable to win despite a 2-0 lead at half-time.
Donyell Malen missed good chances in the second half
Source: dpa/Bernd Thissen
The season is only three game days old, but the impression that was created on Friday evening is that the spirit of optimism and with it all the good intentions have already been pulverized. It was repeatedly implored to do everything to ensure that something like last season doesn’t happen again. Due to a weak first half of the season, BVB had put themselves in an almost hopeless position in the fight for the title, but then they managed to catch up and almost became champions in the end – but the last game of the season against Mainz 05 could not be won. Afterwards there were many tears, but also a remarkable solidarity of the fans with the team. The club wanted to draw energy from this for a new start.
Terzic wants to take consistent action
There is currently no sign of that in Dortmund. The team was dismissed with a deafening whistle. This time a rift opened up between the fans and the team. “If we repeatedly fail to make people happy, we shouldn’t be surprised if the mood changes,” said Edin Terzic. The coach in particular showed how deeply affected he was by the breakdown his team had suffered.
Stunned on the sidelines – Edin Terzic
Source: AP/Martin Meissner
He just couldn’t understand it happening again. “We were determined to get the season off to a good start and be there from the start. We’ve brought it up again and again,” explained the 40-year-old: “We felt how painful it was when we didn’t succeed in catching up on the points we left behind in the first half of the season.” His conclusion: “If if we don’t stop that, it will be difficult to win anything in the end.” For Terzic, the way the draw came about felt like a personal defeat. Because his team hadn’t listened to his warnings.
Already in the first half there were “some signs” of arrogance, according to the coach: “Ball losses because we play the ball 30 meters in front of our own goal with the heel.” After the change, the team then lost its entire structure. The game went wild, also due to controversial scenes and referee decisions. The Heidenheimers became more self-confident – the Dortmunders lost their nerve.
Terzic announced that he would learn lessons from this bad relapse and then implement them “with every consequence”. However, one observation that no one at BVB can avoid is particularly painful for him: the team has learned nothing from the previous season, at least up to this point.
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