Champions League: BVB coach Sahin before the end

Borussia Dortmund’s sports director Lars Ricken has avoided a clear commitment to coach Nuri Sahin and announced an internal club meeting for Wednesday. “My expectations after Frankfurt were clear. We need victories. We need results. Now we have won once in nine games,” said a disappointed Ricken on Amazon Prime Video after the bitter 1:2 at FC Bologna.

Decision before the Bremen game

The BVB boss added: “I have a very trusting and good relationship with Nuri. He always has my backing, but of course my statements stand.”

When asked whether he thought he would still be on the sidelines as a coach at the weekend, Sahin said: “That’s not the point. It’s simply about this club finally finding peace and calming down. That the club becomes successful again, that we don’t have any secondary theaters of war.”

The 36-year-old added: “It’s not about me personally. I am responsible for sporting performance. I stand by that too. Of course I know how business works. The only thing that matters to me is that Borussia Dortmund is successful.”

The defeat was the fourth in a row. BVB had previously lost with Sahin in the Bundesliga against Bayer Leverkusen (2:3), at Holstein Kiel (2:4) and at Eintracht Frankfurt (0:2). Ricken said he did not want to announce a decision in Italy “out of emotion and from the hip.” A decision about Sahin’s near future should be made before the Bundesliga game against Werder Bremen on Saturday (3:30 p.m./Sky).

Sammer speaks of non-constitution

Matthias Sammer, who works as a consultant at BVB and as an expert at Prime Video, was extremely harsh in his criticism. “If we approach it analytically, this team is not in good shape physically and mentally. When you see this today, you think the foundation isn’t there. Unfortunately, the team can’t defend either. “She can’t attack either,” complained Sammer.

About the contrast between the Italian hosts and the troubled top club from the Bundesliga, Sammer said: “Bologna is developing quite well. We didn’t fail because we had too many players. The team is coming so slowly. And one seems to be going.”