By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Yellow Blacks from Borussia Dortmund have not been blessed with good fortune as of late. The troublesome farce around Ousmane Dembele is an ongoing debacle. The 20-year-old Frenchman wants to join the Spanish giant FC Barcelona and is on strike, refusing to get in contact with Dortmund officials.
He was suspended after skipping training last week Thursday. The preparation for the 2017/2018 Bundesliga season with new coach Peter Bosz was far from satisfying, and important players are sidelined due to injury. Now the return of striker and midfielder Mario Goetze is giving the 2012 German Champion a motivation boost.
Goetze is ready for action after he attended a full training session, Dortmund coach Bosz told German media. The return of the 25-year-old comes at the right time. Goetze is not only giving Bosz an additional option regarding Dortmund's season curtain raiser against VfL Wolfsburg but is also helpful for the team's spirit.
He is feeling perfectly well, Goetze stressed. The man scoring Germany's winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina had to go through hard times after being sidelined for over half a year due to a metabolic disorder, an illness that for a long time was not discovered by doctors. Now, it is time to return, Goetze said, and added that he is looking forward to that moment.
It is great to see him back, Dortmund defender Sokratis emphasized, just as serval teammates also stressed. He also attacked Dembele by saying the striker could not just behave as he wants to. "We need players that join us as a team with full commitment. Ousmane obviously does not want to do that," Sokratis told the German sports magazine Kicker.
After Barcelona managing director Pep Segura announced negotiations were nearly a done deal, the Spaniard was accused by Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke of neglecting reality. "He seems to be mixed up after his side was blown off the pitch by Real in the Spanish Super Cup," Watzke stressed. According to Borussia's CEO, things have not gotten better at all.
Dortmund demands over 130 million euro from Barcelona which is still interested in Brazilian Philippe Coutinho from the English Premier League side Liverpool, FC Segura told Spanish media. Both players are expected to join his party within the next few days. Barcelona is also expected to make a new offer in both cases.
After Liverpool club owners recently refused to allow Coutinho to join Barcelona, they apparently have changed their mind. According to media reports in England, Liverpool is in new negotiations with Barcelona about the Coutinho transfer. Barcelona just recently lost one of his cornerstones after the Brazilian star Neymar Junior left for 222 million euro for top French club Paris St. Germain.
Dortmund coach Bosz called Dembele a good character that is having misleading thoughts at present. Defender Sokratis said he is not sure if Dembele would be accepted by the squad in the event that he is willing to return. First of all, he would have to turn up for training again, the Greek defender said. Dembele is said to have left Germany to wait in France for further progress, and is continuing his crude bid to force Borussia to sell him.
In Wolfsburg, Dutchman Bosz has to replace several key figures such as Germany winger Andre Schuerrle, Portuguese Raphael Guerreiro, Julian Weigl and team captain Marcel Schmelzer. These are not what one would call best conditions for a good start. Bosz has replaced German Thomas Tuchel as Dortmund's head-coach after steering Ajax Amsterdam to the Europe League final last May.
After Tuchel managed to qualify for the Champions League as third of the Bundesliga tableau, the 49-year-old was sacked due to problems with the team and the club leaders. Now it is on Bosz to repeat last season's success. Therefore, he will have to finish among the top four at the end of the season. So far, Bosz has not been successful with his new tactical system.
Despite the club's problems, Bosz said he is optimistic that his team is ready for a good performance this Saturday. But he will have to consider his line up as only Cristian Pulisic, Maximillian Philipp and Emre Mor are left to do the job along the flanks.
The return of Mario Goetze might help Bosz start into his first season in Germany with a more positive attitude.
