Düsseldorf (AP) – Borussia Dortmund’s long search for a key player has come to an end. Even though the name of Marcel Sabitzer was still missing from the Bundesliga club’s passenger list for the eleven-day trip to the USA, the Austrian national player’s move from FC Bayern to the German runners-up was reported as perfect.
According to BVB, Sabitzer signed an employment contract valid until June 30, 2027. The transfer fee should be in the range of 15 to 20 million euros.
“Marcel is an experienced player who has been playing at the top international level for years. He corresponds exactly to the profile we were looking for: a central midfielder who will strengthen us both defensively and offensively as a box-to-box player,” commented BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl.
The 29-year-old came to Munich from Leipzig in the summer of 2021, but did not get the chance there as desired. He played for Manchester United on loan last season. Sabitzer appeared in 54 competitive games for Bayern and scored two goals.
Sabitzer will travel to the USA on Tuesday
A few hours before his new teammates boarded the plane to San Diego in Düsseldorf, he made his way to the Revierstadt to complete the medical check-up. With his signing, BVB has ended the weeks-long search for another replacement for Jew Bellingham, who has moved to Real Madrid. In addition to the approximately 30 million euro former Wolfsburg resident Felix Nmecha, Sabitzer is to direct the Dortmund control center. At BVB he meets a familiar face from Bayern days in defender Niklas Süle.
To speed up the integration, Sabitzer will travel to the USA on Tuesday. This is in the spirit of BVB trainer Edin Terzic, who will be under a lot of pressure in the coming days in view of the long flight times, different time zones and various PR appointments of his professionals. Finally, the USA trip with tests against the US second division club San Diego Loyal (July 28/4:30 a.m. CEST), Manchester City (July 31/3:00 a.m. CEST in Las Vegas) and Chelsea FC (August 3/2:30 a.m. CEST in Chicago) replaces the preparatory training camp in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, which has been mandatory for years.
Complaints about the waiver did not come from the football teacher’s lips. “We want to work on team tactics and will use the time intensively and conscientiously. It’s good that we’re together for a while, from morning to night, around the clock, »said Terzic.
Balance between training and marketing
The trip brings in around five million euros for the Revierclub and should help to better market the Bundesliga abroad. “We have to do something for internationalization. We can’t always just say that the Bundesliga is lagging behind. You can’t complain about that without doing something about it, »said Dortmund’s marketing manager Carsten Cramer of the German Press Agency and referred to the more professional handling of this topic by many English clubs compared to the domestic league. “Ten clubs from the Premier League are traveling abroad in the summer. We also have to go to the markets where people are interested in the Bundesliga.”
According to Cramer, the preparation will not suffer from these commercial interests: «I think we have combined it very well. The first part in San Diego resembles a training camp. In Manchester United and Chelsea FC, we also have two really good opponents over the course of the trip so that we can have a corresponding effect in the USA. For our team, these are also two real endurance tests.”
BVB sports director Sebastian Kehl can be a little more relaxed in the coming days after the recent criticism of the meager purchases so far. The coup with Sabitzer and the extension of the contract with national player Emre Can until 2026 relieve the 43-year-old’s to-do list. What is still pending is the desired agreement with goalkeeper Gregor Kobel on a continuation of the collaboration, which previously dated to 2026, which could bring the 25-year-old significantly more income. In addition, if Thomas Meunier were to leave, Kehl would have to intensify the search for a new right-back.
2023-07-24 19:48:18
