Surprise: BVB legend quietly criticises Schlotterbeck | OneFootball

BVB legend Jürgen Kohler gives defensive chief Nico Schlotterbeck specific tips for his development. He also evaluates other top German defenders.

Jürgen Kohler, 1990 World Cup champion and former BVB legend, has scrutinized the current German central defenders and has particularly focused on Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck. Kohler praises the natural aggressiveness of the 25-year-old, but sees room for development: "Nico Schlotterbeck has this natural aggressiveness, but sometimes wants too much and causes free kicks or sees cards. He needs to work on these nuances," Kohler told Kicker.

Other DFB defenders are not overlooked: "Jonathan Tah also has good quality, but I don't see him at the top level," Kohler said about the central defender of FC Bayern Munich. Antonio Rüdiger from Real Madrid is also strong, according to Kohler, but he warns: "Unfortunately, he can often be taken out of the game very quickly." Internationally, the former defender highlights Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk: "Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk is a brilliant player and an outstanding personality."

BVB legend Kohler gives Schlotterbeck important tips

Kohler, who is celebrating his 60th birthday today, looks back on an extraordinary career. He played 105 international matches for Germany, became World Cup champion in 1990, European champion in 1996 (where he was seriously injured in the opening match), Champions League winner and Intercontinental Cup winner with Borussia Dortmund, and German champion with Dortmund and Bayern. In Italy, he won the UEFA Cup with Juventus Turin. In total, he played 250 matches for BVB and previously played for SV Waldhof Mannheim and 1. FC Köln, among others. Today he coaches the U17 team of Bonner SC.

Regarding the current DFB situation, Kohler believes that the bumpy start to the World Cup qualification should not be overrated: "To be fair, we have to say that important players were missing in the 0:2 defeat in Slovakia. The opponent had a good day, the German team did not. You know, this happened to us in the past as well. I am convinced that we will win the games now." He emphasizes that first place in the group is a must.

He also positively evaluates the high title announcement by national coach Julian Nagelsmann for the 2026 World Cup: "I think it's good. If you look at the last two games, it sounds presumptuous, but I am convinced that the team can perform when everyone is on board."

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