BVB buzz! Fans’ fervour grows as Favre directs new Dortmund era…
Jurgen Klopp is the first manager of the modern era who springs to mind when you consider those bosses who have had an impact on the fortunes of Borussia Dortmund. And rightly so, to a large extent. After all, Klopp, now managing Premier League giants Liverpool, brought the club recognition on a global scale and, of course, silverware — and that has to be the most precious commodity to any football club (and many fans have had a bet on the Bundesliga with MansionBet on the Reds to win the top flight crown this term).
Klopp, who managed BVB between 2008 and 2015 before he switched to Anfield, brought the Westfalenstadion club two Bundesliga titles — in 2010/11 and 201/12 — and took them to the Champions League final at Wembley when they lost out in a 2-1 defeat to fellow Germans Bayern Munich.
Klopp’s legacy is intact, no question — but what of the new era under highly regarded Lucien Favre? The Swiss national replaced Peter Stöger as the new BVB manager in May of this year and it’s fair to say he has brought a new air of expectation to the club. Confidence is high and the excellent form on the pitch is showing that Favre’s approach, heavily reliant on good man-management and clever tactics, is working in spades.
It’s not Favre’s first dalliance with football in the Bundesliga, let’s remember. Between 2007 and 2009 he was the coach of Hertha BSC and more recently he took charge of Borussia Mönchengladbach (between 2011 and 2015), with two years as Nice supremo in between.
Favre is all in favour of players taking on-pitch responsibility and he is happy for them to adjust their play according to how the play is developing. In other words, individual thought and a certain amount of independence are encouraged, along with a degree of improvisation. Indeed, the boss outlined his philosophy when he took charge in the summer.
On accepting his appointment, he said:
“My wish is that we can play through our entire team, starting from the goalkeeper, finding intelligent ways to get to the goal. We want to play high up the pitch, and we have to be able to counter. A team that can’t counter is not a great team.”
One player who has been handed the chance to shine under the tutelage of Favre is England teen ace Jadon Sancho. The former Manchester City starlet, who is aged just 18, has flourished under the manager and earned his first international cap for the Three Lions largely due to his BVB form. And so impressed is captain Marco Reus with Sancho’s impact as a substitute he is keen to see more of him as the campaign progresses.
He said:
“I think it’s incredibly important that he comes off the bench and does so well every time. When our opponents ease off a little and Jadon comes into the game, then he’s a weapon for us every single time. We’re happy to have him up our sleeve and he always gives us a boost.”
It all adds up to exciting times at BVB under Favre. It’s no wonder BVB fans are keen to see how the season unfolds.
