Borussia Dortmund will have to get their next head coach appointment spot on to keep their exciting, young talent at the club
Holding the Golden Boy award in his hands as the city of Qatar lit up behind him in his social media post, the Norwegian truly looked like one of football’s most exceptional stars when he was presented with the award that highlights the best player in Europe under the age of 21.
Hair slicked back, black tie and suit in pristine condition, Haaland looked more like Brad Pitt accepting another Oscar before his peers in Hollywood. Which is perhaps why the topic of Borussia Dortmund seemed so distant or besides the point when it was inevitably brought up.
“I’ve been with Borussia Dortmund for a year. I’m fine here and happy,” said Haaland, despite his own agent, Mino Raiola, being present at the awards show in Turin and publicly mulling over a move to Italy in the future. This was the young strikers night and the whole world was watching. Dortmund, it seems, came second to all of that.
It may not have been an intentional stunt but if anyone was watching from the club’s offices back in Dortmund it would have surely spurred on the hunt for a successor to the recently fired Lucien Favre.
The last few weeks of turmoil at Dortmund have undoubtedly been the most interesting aspect of the Bundesliga season thus far, with the club winning just one of their last five games in all competitions.
However, if Haaland’s remarkable record of 33 goals in 32 games since arriving at the German club in January wasn’t proof enough of the Norwegian striker’s necessity to Dortmund’s success, then the simple fact that his absence through injury during the last four games directly led to the head coach being sacked certainly will.
On Tuesday, Dortmund president Reinhard Rauball referenced the club’s position in the German top flight and why the decision to sack Favre was made because of the “worrying with regard to our goals in the Bundesliga” but in truth the Westfalen side sit just five points off Bayern Munich and six from first place. Continue reading