Football Bundesliga - Worries about Guirassy: Switch to BVB still open
Return trip instead of new start: Simultaneously with the first training session of his alleged new Dortmund teammates, Serhou Guirassy boarded a plane near the airport towards Stuttgart. Unfortunately, the plan was foiled for all involved parties as Guirassy failed the medical check. The 28-year-old had been the hoped-for striker for VfB at Nuri Sahin's debut as a new signing, but he has since become a problem case.
Regarding the severity of his injury, Guirassy made no comments during the first team training after a two-day performance diagnosis. According to German Press Agency (dpa), another examination is planned at the beginning of the coming week. Guirassy reportedly sustained the injury during a national team game for Guinea in early June, which requires "further clarification" according to BVB.
Above all, Sahin urgently hoped that the doctors would no longer object to the completion of the already signed four-year contract. After all, the second-best scorer of the previous Bundesliga season (28 goals) plays a significant role in the planned reconsideration of the BVB DNA. New sports director Lars Ricken recently expressed what he expects from Sahin: "We want to play bravely and offensively. Then the successes will come." This should be evident above all in the Bundesliga, where Borussia under Sahin's predecessor Edin Terzic failed to finish above fifth place last season.
The first new signing, National player Waldemar Anton from VfB Stuttgart, is already a done deal. The defender, who was intended as a replacement for Mats Hummels, spoke to the fans in the first interview after signing: "We always want to be first. That's the goal I've pursued since I could think."
Besides Anton and Guirassy, Pascal Groß is also expected to strengthen the squad. The midfielder's negotiations with the English club Brighton & Hove Albion, where he is still under contract until 2025 and was also part of the German national team for the Euros, are close to completion.
Many eyes were drawn to Niklas Süle during the first training session. The defender was barely visible towards the end of the previous season due to almost imperceptible fitness problems. Borussia themselves published a picture of the 28-year-old on X (formerly Twitter) in a significantly improved physical condition.
The first test game of the pre-season starts on Friday (6:00 PM), when Borussia faces an amateur football team in nearby Holzwickede. The then still depleted squad will travel to Thailand and Japan for a week-long Bundesliga overseas marketing trip, where two test games are scheduled. The training camp will take place again from August 1 to 9 in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland.
- Despite Guirassy's absence due to an injury sustained during an international match for Guinea, Borussia Dortmund (BVB) is still eager to strengthen their squad, with Nuri Sahin expecting the completion of his four-year contract.
- Born in North Rhine-Westphalia, Nuri Sahin, the second-best scorer of the previous Bundesliga season, is a key figure in Borussia Dortmund's plans to reconsider their team DNA, focusing on brave and offensive play.
- Waldemar Anton, a German national team player, has already joined Borussia Dortmund from VfB Stuttgart on a transfer, with the defender expressing his ambition to always aim for first place.
- In an attempt to strengthen their midfield, Borussia Dortmund is in advanced negotiations with Pascal Groß, who is still under contract with Brighton & Hove Albion and represented Germany in the Euros.
- Niklas Süle, who was barely visible towards the end of the previous season due to fitness issues, has shown significant improvement and joined his new Dortmund teammates for the first training session.
- The first test game of Borussia Dortmund's pre-season is scheduled for Friday against an amateur football team in Holzwickede, with further international friendlies planned in Thailand and Japan later this month.
- The final training camp before the start of the Bundesliga season will take place in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, from August 1 to 9, giving the wider Squad the opportunity to train together and prepare for the upcoming challenges in the Football-Bundesliga.
