The Fall and Fall of Dortmund Football Club

Lewandowski, Gotze, Hummels, Reus, Aubameyang, Dembele, Weigl.

Those are players good enough with the right coach to win a treble.

That's the kind of team that Dortmund could have had. Incredible technical quality all over the pitch. And us as football fans were were robbed off seeing one of the great young sides without the need to empty out the recesses of the wallet.

They could have conquered the world against all odds just like Ajax in the nineties. They could have brought back the life into club football showing how it ought to be done, and bringing back some much needed parity in the sport.

Alas, that dream is slowly crumbling in depressing fashion.











Firstly there was the departure of Thomas Tuchel. You know, the guy who was handpicked by Klopp to carry on the "rock n roll" style of football. Tuchel made his Dortmund play a brand of the most attractive attacking football in Europe.

Whether they won or lost, they did so in entertaining fashion. Playing a high-risk game, always moving forward with the inventiveness of a hundred German scientists.

Well due to "disagreements" over players, Tuchel was given his marching orders.



I'm sorry, but there is no explanation good enough you can give me for sacking a coach who has got a bunch of players operating at that level of football. Where they can go to the Bernabeu and give Real Madrid a real game.

Soon after Tuchel's exit, there are reports now pointing to their star striker, Aubameyang heading to PSG. Of course, Dortmund have come out to deny it but anyone with a quarter of a brain will know there is little to no chance in Aubameyang staying without Tuchel.

Aubameyang has already talked of his love for Real Madrid and has never really come out to commit himself to Dortmund. But with Tuchel's departure, the Gabonese striker sees the writing on the wall and doesn't see the club being a place where he can find success.



It's all a rather unfortunate downward spiral for Dortmund who really captured the hearts and minds of football fans. From Klopp to Tuchel, there is an unabashed innocence in the way they caress the ball and youthfully gallop towards their opponent's half.

But season after season, their very best players, the ones we fell in love with left, and the team that could have been the next great European force began to diminish by our very eyes.

And you have to look at Dortmund director Watzke who doesn't seem to care about this problem.

It's his job to do all he can to keep a hold of these players and urge his coach to spend on defenders and a DM, in order to better make use of their amazing attacking talent.

Because as I always say, playing pretty football is nice but this is a results business. And more times than not, a really good defense, wins you titles.

Dortmund still have the best young players in a given eleven, but how much can you ask from a bunch of kids? Especially when you see this trend of players leaving, how much will these young starlets want to commit to Dortmund in the long term?

Take a look at Ousmane Dembele, who is one of the best players at his age in the world. He's had a fantastic season, but at the rate Dortmund have been selling; if Real Madrid or Barcelona were to go for him, is he really going to reject their approach?

The same goes for all the others. There is only so much loyalty you can give to a club. Because if there is not a desire to build a squad that can win trophies, and you see yourself as an ambitious footballer who wants his just rewards at the end of his career; then the only move to make is to head towards the exit.

Who knows what the future holds for Dortmund. Nice's Favre is rumored to take over the post and he may be a more stabling presence, and will perhaps help to alleviate the defensive deficiencies.

At what cost though?

The reason why Dortmund are most people's second favorite team is the way in which they play the sport.

That means that they play a very risky defensive game, but that is what they have decided to sacrifice in order to entertain us.

This is not to mean they should completely forego defensive duties. I have said numerous times, this season that they need one or two really tough defensive players in the midfield in order to turn those losses and draws into wins.

By no means though, does that mean I want them to abandon their philosophy.

Maybe I am overreacting. Dortmund managed to survive with the departures of Lewandowski and Gotze. But they can't keep replacing these stars. There will come a time where they will no longer be the Dortmund we have grown fond of.

And that will be a very sad day when it comes.


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