Coach Nuri Şahin publicly counts Julian Brandt

Dortmund in crisis

Şahin publicly counts the BVB star

After the embarrassment in Kiel, BVB is under a lot of pressure in Frankfurt on Friday. The tone towards the professionals is also becoming sharper on the part of the coach.

Will Nuri Şahin and his capricious star ensemble still get things going at BVB or not? The coach of Borussia Dortmund is working extremely hard to get the club back on track after the embarrassing 2:4 at newly promoted Kiel. The 36-year-old relies on open conversations. However, time to solve fundamental problems is short.

The debacle in Kiel kept Şahin very busy, but he remains optimistic before the important game at Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday evening (from 8:30 p.m. in the t-online live ticker). “I know the boys will be there. I know we will show a reaction,” Şahin emphasized. A flu epidemic that recently put many players out of action has been overcome. With the exception of central defender Niklas Süle, all players are available to him.

Despite the return of numerous players, the question of leadership remains unresolved. Experienced players like Julian Brandt, Marcel Sabitzer and captain Emre Can have not been able to drive the team decisively recently. Şahin expects this player to take responsibility, especially in difficult moments. He is now demanding this publicly. “In games like in Kiel I will see that they take the weight into their own hands,” he explained. Brandt in particular sees the coach as having a responsibility: “It’s clear that Jule is one of these players. He’ll pitch in.”

Şahin reported that the team had been very self-critical about the defeat in Kiel. The coaching team has completed the analysis, now it’s time to focus on the upcoming tasks. “It has to continue for me and my team,” emphasized the coach.

After a disappointing first half of the season, the club’s worst in a decade, the pressure on Şahin is growing. Although he has the support of those in charge, things could get tough for him if he loses again. A first prominent name as a possible successor was already in the tabloid press after the Kiel game.

A change of coach would be a bitter setback for managing director Lars Ricken and the BVB bosses, because Şahin is supposed to develop the team further in the long term. However, the coach must at least achieve Champions League qualification. Before the start of the second half of the season, Dortmund is already five points behind fourth place.

Eintracht Frankfurt has an opponent waiting on Friday who is eight points ahead of BVB in the table. Of all places, BVB has to improve its weak away record against Eintracht, who are strong at home and whom Şahin describes as their “top opponents”. In the current Bundesliga season, Dortmund have only managed one win away from home. Nevertheless, Şahin hopes that the party against the Hessians will be the turning point: “Perhaps that is exactly the opponent we need to make up for what we have achieved.”

More than ever, it depends on his alleged leading player.