It may feel like it’s been an eternity, but it’s been barely two years since Borussia Dortmund took to the pitch against Real Madrid in a Champions League final. On that day, even though our beloved black-and-yellows ultimately fell one step short, the future undoubtedly felt bright.
Unfortunately, the following two seasons felt like two years of the club spinning its wheels in the mud. It began immediately with the bizarre departure of Edin Terzic and appointment of Nuri Sahin. It followed with two seasons’ worth of a seemingly rudderless transfer strategy and squad planning that resulted in a club that was clearly, to my eyes and many others, miles behind the true European frontrunners in England, Spain, Paris, and Munich.
In 2024-25, I went into the season with essentially no expectations. I had absolutely no faith in Sahin. Last season, I was a bit more hopeful about Niko Kovac, but ultimately thought that the squad was so mediocre that we basically had no chance of doing anything meaningful. Given those expectations, I was actually pleasantly surprised by the club’s league performance, but the club still ultimately never came close to winning any silverware, and the quality of football was not exactly must-watch.
It was really starting to drag. You can probably tell by the (in)frequency of content on this site, but I was really getting burnt out last season. I’ve spoken with a lot of my fellow writers about this, and many of them felt the same. It was so bad that I was seriously contemplating stepping down over the summer. It was the sheer monotony and mediocre results combined with a complete lack of any kind of indication that there was a brighter future ahead that really made it hurt.
Enter Ole Book. I don’t know how he did it, but it genuinely feels like Dortmund’s new sporting director has brought the club back from the grave. The signings of Karetsas, Konstantelias, and Veerman alone have completely reinvigorated the starting XI. Justin Lerma, Joane Gadou, and Kaua Prates add some young blood. Samuele Inacio and Filippo Mané seem ready to break into the senior squad. Last season’s squad may have finished second, but it felt like it was at its ceiling already. This season’s squad might not win a major trophy this year, but it’s not hard to see how, if the stars align the right way, it could happen one day.
For now, I’m just happy that for the first time in several years, I’m very excited for the season to begin. I think it’ll be a fun one, and I can’t wait to cover it all for you.
