Title race: Ballack offers BVB some advice | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund should show more ambition and position themselves as a true championship contender, says Michael Ballack. The former national player currently sees Bayern in the Champions League only as a challenger.

Michael Ballack has expressed clear expectations for Borussia Dortmund for the new season in an interview with Sport Bild. "In the past two years, BVB has performed excellently in the Champions League with their final participation in 2024 and the good games in the quarter-finals against Barcelona in 2025. What I just don't understand is why Dortmund can't manage to consistently perform well in the Bundesliga. They have their problems in everyday life."

The former national player advises the team to have more ambition and self-confidence: "Borussia should not only define themselves as a training club and Champions League aspirant but as a real competitor to FC Bayern when it comes to the championship." He apparently sees room for improvement, especially in terms of mental attitude: "From my point of view, you could get much more out of the players if you don't settle for less." BVB starts the new Champions League season on September 16 (9 PM) at Juventus Turin.

For Bayer Leverkusen, the situation is more realistic: just getting through the group stage in the Champions League would be a success for the Werkself.

Ballack demands more ambition from BVB in the Bundesliga

In contrast, Ballack does not see FC Bayern Munich in an absolute favorite role: "For me, Bayern is not among the absolute top favorites but is a challenger." The decisive factors are the early exit at the Club World Cup and the record of recent years. "Bayern can beat any opponent. But we have to talk about the momentum: Last season, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals against Inter Milan."

Although Vincent Kompany's team is fundamentally on a good path, it will be crucial whether the lessons from the past season are learned. Ballack also noted that Bayern lacks regular competition in the Bundesliga: "It could be a disadvantage that Bayern lacks competition in the Bundesliga, with the exception of the 2023/24 season when Leverkusen became champions. You need this regular challenge."

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