The future appears grim for this Borussia Dortmund squad.
Borussia Dortmund finds itself in the Champions League final for the first time in a decade. But will this mark a new era for the team?
Another appearance at Wembley is imminent. The players can prepare for this milestone, but then they will scatter. The team is hanging on by a thread. Dortmund is making its way to the final of the Champions League, with excitement and intensity in the air, but nothing will truly happen until the last whistle on Saturday.
Once upon a time, Dortmund counted on youth and had high hopes for the future. However, these dreams never materialized. Now, the team relies on experience and navigates through the present. While this squad may lack a promising future, they are determined to take home the trophy. Their average players, clad in black and yellow, may not be up to the task, as they're too old for the game. They flew high this season but ultimately found themselves in a standstill.
Amidst the club's most successful decade in its history, a strategy relying on young players was employed. But this approach left the team yearning for a pathway to the future. The same fate befell past and present football heroes alike. Germany's image as the "Factory for Foodball" once boasted of Dortmund as a permanent guest in the Champions League. However, without a clear vision for the future, the game of musical chairs with talent has led to an overwhelming sense of stagnation.
Across Europe, even major clubs are betting on young, up-and-coming players. The constant need to make five substitutions has played a role in revitalizing other clubs. Dortmund's stopover has lost its appeal. Opportunities and playing time are available elsewhere, including Real Madrid.
The past decade will be remembered as the last part of a trilogy - the "All Born at Borsigplatz" trilogy - in football history. Wembley is the predestined final for this epic journey. With suspense building, it seems as though it's only the final episode of a controversial docu-series "Doctor Gott" (former boss Gerd Niebaum).
Dortmund experienced a whirlwind three years, starting with Bert van Marwijk, Jürgen Röber, and Thomas Doll, and the demands for unity from the fan department to the city. After an impressive takeover by Hans-Joachim Watzke, promises of a bright future were made. The internet age allowed for widespread exposure of the club, and they captured hearts and minds across the globe. When discussing Dortmund abroad, the focus is always.on Borussia. There is no other city in the world so synonymous with the game.
The finale takes place at Wembley. All eyes are on Dortmund as they make their return. Some are still arriving, while others are saying goodbye. Lars Ricken, whose success took place in the "Doctor Gott" tragedy in 1997, is back. Watzke, the savior, will stand at the end. The shifting CEO has created tension during preparation with his Rheinmetall deal and his questionable stance on the current state of affairs. Matthias Sammer, who's been there with Ricken throughout, will stand on the opposition side in 2013.
Mats Hummels, dismissed by his coach Edin Terzic, has been embroiled in an intense feud. Marco Reus will be leaving the club after a career spanning Wembley to Wembley. Reus won't be playing again. There are rumors that almost the entire attacking squad, including Sébastien Haller, Youssoufa Moukoko, and Karim Adeyemi, as well as Niclas Füllkrug, may part ways. The talented loan players Ian Maatsen and Jadon Sancho are also expected to leave - they may head back to their parent clubs or find a new opportunity in the international transfer market. Sporting director Sebastian Kehl's position may also shift.
With such drastic changes ahead, will Dortmund's revitalized focus on experience pay off in the end? Or will the playing field even the odds and lead to a surprising outcome?
An underrated picture credit: ©GENERATION X KEHARA/STOCK.ADOBE.COM.Credit: kleeblatt
Sven Mislintat, once known as the prodigious face of Dortmund, has returned to the Borsigplatz after a bitter feud with Thomas Tuchel. The Wembley stadium will be the stage for the last hurrah of the most peculiar Dortmund team of the past two decades. This strange group ultimately formed at the Borsigplatz and will play their final match before disbanding forever. As a team crumbles, a club is reborn.
This team, carefully crafted for the present, aims to give Real Madrid, the most significant favorite ever, a serious thrashing. Only a year after one of the lowest sporting moments in the last 15 years - a 2:2 draw against Mainz - they could culminate the most remarkable story in the over 100-year-old club's history with a triumphant win and then disband.
Prior to that, though, Marco Reus hopes to lift the Champions League trophy atop "All Born at the Borsigplatz" and reunite with the fans one last time. He's long dreamed of this moment. He was one of them. But until then, there will be chanting and rattling everywhere. The culmination of the club's largest final ever. After this, nothing will remain as it was for more than two decades.
