Julian Brandt, recently again a national player, and on Wednesday evening two-time template provider, summed it up this time in his intelligent and blunt way: “That was another job win”. But at the moment it’s just about collecting the three mandatory points that you need in order not to be completely left behind at the top of the table by Bayern. Borussia Dortmund could not claim beauty medals in the numerically clear 3: 0 against the knocked-down table bottom Greuther Fürth.
And as is usually the case with Dortmund’s often lackluster and unimaginative victories this season, plays and actions on the pitch echoed less than the almost desperate speculations and rumors about Dortmund’s center forward Erling Haaland. The 21-year-old scored 1-0 with a hand penalty, then on Brandt’s submission with a header, the 2-0.
Donyell Malen contributed the 3-0 shortly before the end, also after preliminary work by Brandt. After the last home game of the year, the BVB players said goodbye in front of the remains of the south stand, with only 15,000 admitted spectators in the giant bowl of Dortmund. And Haaland paced the remaining stands, in a kind of personal lap of honor.
This is actually nothing special for the young Norwegian with a few slightly eccentric habits. But in times of constant transfer debates, in which the whole world is just endlessly speculating as if in endless manager games as to where Haaland is going to move to soon or soon or not at all, Haaland’s Christmas greetings to the public, especially in Spain and England, immediately became a sure sign of one thing imminent change jazzed up.
The state of affairs does not provide that. But that doesn’t seem to play a role in the carousel of football fake news. BVB, that sounds understandable and logical, would never agree to a move from Haaland in the middle of the season. So the entire executive suite. Dortmund still want to become champions, even if the game against Fürth once again gave little cause for hope. Without Haaland, the mild game against the brave Fürth had that much power, it would be an impossible job. With Haaland everything remains possible for the time being. A premature change from Haaland is categorically excluded at BVB.
And whether the striker will stay beyond the summer or make use of an ominous exit option in the summer of 2022, that is now judged rather optimistically at BVB. The market situation for Haaland and his advisor Mino Raiola should be anything but optimal in 2022, because Corona, now with the new Omikron variant, will continue to keep European football in check. In economic terms, a change in Haaland should also make more sense for the player and his advisor in 2023. This should be negotiated between BVB and the Haaland side by around February. But facts play a rather subordinate role in the tangle of transfer conspiracy theorists.
For Dortmund coach Marco Rose, after the final whistle, it was more about defending against discussions about the alleged failure of his team and the impending disintegration. All nonsense, rumbled Rose, and referred to the 34 points achieved in the Bundesliga after 16 games. Rose focused primarily on the Sky expert and former Bayern player Didi Hamann: “He’s only been nailing against us since the start of the season.”
After all, BVB is the only team that is contesting Bayern Munich’s leadership role, and that is what it is. This is also the case after the controversial 2: 3 defeat in a direct duel. “Actually everyone could be happy about it.” Rose admitted, however, that the performances were sometimes disappointing, as was the elimination from the Champions League.
Dortmund’s last job of the year is an away game at Hertha BSC. BVB will not be able to stop the Haaland fairy tale anyway.