While all at Celtic seem to be on the same page, Borussia Dortmund appear to be plagued by infighting ahead of the pair meeting on Tuesday.
Brendan Rodgers takes his team to Germany for their second Champions League clash of the season where last year’s runners up lie in wait. But this appears to be a very different Dortmund that made it all the way to Wembley last season under Edin Terzic. Former midfielder and assistant boss Nuri Sahin is in the hot seat but it hasn’t been a smooth transition based on recent evidence.
A 5-1 hammering at the hands of VFB Stuttgart was a major blot in Sahin’s copybook and they weren’t exactly convincing in winning a Ruhr derby 4-2 against Bochum at the weekend. Sahin has also been involved in a public spat with Austrian star Marcel Sabitzer. The midfielder has been utilised as a right winger by Sahin, and has expressed his preference to operate as a No 6. That has led to Sahin publicly telling Sabitzer he’ll continue to use him out wide, which has led to a warning from legendary German coach Peter Neururer.
“Sabitzer is certainly a player who can play in several positions in midfield,” he told Der Westen. “An outstanding guy, an outstanding footballer. However, I think it is fundamentally wrong to announce his claims in public because it brings with it a certain touch. The players have to perform to their potential. Players also have to be heard, that is absolutely right. But ultimately there is someone who makes the decision and that is the coach.”
Neururer drew parallels between a similar situation with Terzic and Mats Hummels last season, which Nahin had a front row seat for before the duo both left the club. “He saw last year how things were going at BVB. After all, he was the assistant coach. That could really become a problem if he is not careful. That is why he is required as head coach to react to it.”
Meanwhile, sporting director Lars Ricken has admitted that club chiefs all “argue like tinkers” following a summer of transfer disagreements. Club power brokers reportedly disagreed over sanctioning moves for Yan Couto and Maximilian Beier.
It is claimed Ricken, along with fellow directors Sven Mislintat, Sebastian Kehl and transfer advisor Matthias Sammer, did not see eye to eye, which the 1997 Champions League Final hero has openly admitted. “We can all argue like tinkers. If that has an effect on Borussia Dortmund, then I don’t really care,” Ricken said. When asked who can be the loudest, he replied: “If he is emotionally charged, I think it is Matthias Sammer. He is just swearing the whole time.”