Sven Bender: Never Received Recognition He Deserved
Arriving at Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2009 for just £1.5 million from 1860 Munich during Jurgen Klopp’s rebuilding side, 20-year-old Sven Bender became one of the most underrated players at the club.
Nicknamed “Iron Sven”, he was a tough-tackling, hard working defensive midfielder, Bender became a fan favourite due to this, but hardly earned plaudits in the media. He was a player who quietly went about his business with minimal fuss, breaking up play, covering teammates and reading opposition attacks.
Often overshadowed by the more glamorous Ilkay Gundogan who partnered him in a classy midfield pivot, with Mario Gotze just ahead of them supporting Robert Lewandowski, with Marco Reus cutting in from the left and Jakub Błaszczykowski attacking from the right, Bender’s contributions often went unnoticed by global press.
This was testament to the job that Klopp had done, rebuilding a side full of youth, talent, hunger and potential; arguably one of the best in the Bundesliga for a couple of decades.
Of course, under Klopp, Bender and Dortmund won the league two seasons running (2010/11 and 2011/12), spectacularly breaking up Bayern Munich’s dominance, due to their unique Geggenpressing approach, of which Bender was a key component. During the 2011/12 season, Bender also won the domestic double – the first in the club’s history.
Bender was also key during the club’s run to the Champions League final the following season, in which they agonisingly lost 1-0 to fierce rivals Bayern Munich at Wembley, while he was instrumental in the club’s famous 4-1 win over Real Madrid in the semi-final first leg.
A True Legacy Player At Dortmund
It could be argued that the club hasn’t had as effective a defensive midfielder in their ranks since, with him having left in 2017 to join his twin brother Lars at Bayer Leverkusen.
Also to operate as a center-back when needed, Bender made 224 competitive appearances for the club; averaging between 28-30 games per season at his peak under Klopp, usually rotating with Nuri Sahin.
During his time at Dortmund, Bender also found the net four times and provided 10 assists – a good return for a player who wasn’t at all known for scoring or playing progressive passes.
In his later years at the club, injuries began to affect his playing time; Klopp’s relentless playing style seemingly having taken its toll, while he also had to adapt to each new manager’s tactics.
Indeed, upon his return to Dortmund with Leverkusen no less, the home fans’ response was an emotional testament to the regard they held him in.
Unlucky Not To Have More National Team Appearances
It was really unfortunate at the time that Bender came up when the competition for the defensive midfield role was extremely fierce – even Gundogan had a tough time getting into the team.
The likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos usually overshadowing them, highlighting just how good the country’s conveyor belt of talent was at the time. For most other countries, he would likely have started.
Ultimately, Bender would likely walk into most club sides today, especially with the way the game has evolved – more high intensity, though it is a shame that he never got the plaudits he deserved in the media for his contributions in that Dortmund side.
