‘Incredibly bitter’: BVB chief reacts to Schlotterbeck shock | OneFootball

Following Nico Schlotterbeck’s bitter World Cup exit, BVB have now also spoken out. Managing director Lars Ricken found emotional words for the injured Germany international.

Nico Schlotterbeck’s absence from the World Cup is causing major disappointment not only for the Germany team, but also for Borussia Dortmund. After the center-back suffered a serious injury to his left ankle in the group-stage match against Ivory Coast (2-1), BVB managing director Lars Ricken has now spoken out.

Examinations at the German team’s base confirmed a torn medial ligament in his left ankle. That means the tournament is over for Schlotterbeck ahead of schedule. In addition, the 26-year-old will be sidelined for several months and is therefore also expected to miss the start of Borussia Dortmund’s new season.

Ricken said he was deeply affected by his defender’s injury misfortune. “I feel extremely sorry for Nico; he was in really good form and had become indispensable in our national team’s starting XI,” explained Dortmund’s sporting managing director. The timing of the injury is particularly bitter, as Schlotterbeck had developed into a key figure in Julian Nagelsmann’s team over the past few months.

World Cup over for BVB star Nico Schlotterbeck

The Germany international was injured after only around 15 minutes in Toronto. Despite the pain, he initially carried on and battled through until half-time. He was only substituted after the break. The examinations that followed then confirmed the severity of the injury.

Photo: IMAGO

The loss is also a major setback for Nagelsmann. Schlotterbeck was regarded as an important pillar of Germany’s defence and impressed in particular with his build-up play. “We’ll miss Schlotti enormously on the pitch as an outstanding defender, especially his excellent build-up play. It could have been his World Cup,” said the Germany head coach.

Despite his tournament exit, Schlotterbeck will initially remain with the squad and continue supporting the team on site. At BVB, meanwhile, they are relying on the Germany international’s ability to bounce back. Ricken recalled that Schlotterbeck had already returned strongly after a lengthy injury layoff last year. “But Nico showed last year how he can come back even stronger after an injury. He’ll do that again this time too—we’re convinced of it.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.