“A great privilege”: ex-talent raves about his time at BVB | OneFootball

After leaving Borussia Dortmund, Antonios Papadopoulos looks back on his time at the Bundesliga club with gratitude. The center-back describes it as a special “privilege” and recalls defining moments at BVB.

Playing for Borussia Dortmund remains a dream for many footballers – for Antonios Papadopoulos, it became reality. Even years after his departure, the center-back still looks back on his time at the Bundesliga club with great gratitude.

The defender joined Dortmund from Hallescher FC in 2021, originally planned as a leading player for the second team. But due to squad shortages, Papadopoulos was repeatedly brought into the first team setup – and even made appearances at Signal Iduna Park.

Looking back, the 26-year-old described it in a conversation with YouTuber Cubanito as a special experience: “A great privilege,” as he emphasized. His unusual career path without the traditional youth academy system makes that chapter even more meaningful to him. Through clubs such as VfR Aalen and Hallescher FC, he worked his way up step by step – all the way to the Bundesliga.

Papadopoulos calls BVB the “biggest club in Germany”

Accordingly, Papadopoulos recalls the moment of his transfer with great emotion: “When the phone rings and my father says, ‘Borussia Dortmund want you.’ You don’t think twice, you just say, awesome.” For him, BVB is “one of the biggest clubs in Germany” – an assessment that still underlines his enthusiasm to this day.

Photo: IMAGO

What left a particularly strong impression on the center-back were not only the matches, but also the daily training sessions. There, he came up against international top stars and was able to test himself at the highest level. One duel in particular has stayed in his memory: defending against Erling Haaland was an enormous challenge. “You basically can’t stop him,” Papadopoulos recalls with a laugh.

Alongside those experiences, he also took away valuable sporting lessons. His time in Dortmund shaped him and gave him important impulses for the next stage of his career. Today, the defender is under contract with FC Lugano in Switzerland – but for him, the memories of his time in the Ruhr region remain something very special.

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