‘Out of order’: Hamann hits out at Dortmund star Schlotterbeck | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund is in the midst of an internal debate following the draw against Bodø/Glimt. Nico Schlotterbeck’s pointed criticism of his BVB teammates has now also drawn TV pundit Dietmar Hamann into the discussion.

After Borussia Dortmund’s disappointing 2-2 draw in the Champions League against FK Bodø/Glimt, an internal debate has erupted at BVB. The trigger was the clear words from Nico Schlotterbeck, who didn’t mince words after the final whistle and especially criticized the performance of the substitutes.

The Dortmund defender complained about a lack of intensity and publicly spoke of a lack of winning mentality. He was particularly clear regarding the substitutes: “If you come on in the 60th minute, I expect 30 minutes of full throttle.” He also criticized: “The players who come on lose every ball.” These statements were directed, among others, at Karim Adeyemi, Serhou Guirassy, Emre Can, and Julian Ryerson.

This open criticism was not met with approval everywhere. TV pundit Dietmar Hamann distanced himself from Schlotterbeck’s approach in his Sky column. “The strong words from Nico Schlotterbeck, criticizing the substitutes like that, that’s not a player’s place,” wrote the former national team player. While speaking plainly is generally desirable, Hamann warned: “This choice of words is borderline. You have to be careful that the team isn’t divided by such statements.”

Hamann sees BVB coach Kovac as responsible

Hamann is particularly critical of the personal nature of the comments: “The players who came into the game were, more or less, personally attacked by his statements.” At the same time, the 52-year-old also struck a conciliatory tone and made it clear that he doesn’t fundamentally disagree with Schlotterbeck’s core message. “On the other hand, his words show how much Dortmund’s success means to him,” Hamann continued. In terms of content, it’s hard to disagree with him, “especially regarding the question of quality.”

Schlotterbeck, however, received backing from the club’s management. Sporting director Sebastian Kehl emphasized that it is legitimate to be critical after such games, as long as one remains self-critical as well. For Hamann, however, it remains clear that coach Niko Kovac must respond. The statements cannot simply be ignored internally. Rather, now is the right time to bring the team together and openly address internally what hasn’t worked on the pitch.

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