The Pragmatic Yet Constant Evolution of Borussia Dortmund

The second fiddle play to Bayern Munich has, most of the time, played down their unique characteristics as a club. The current Borussia Dortmund">Borussia Dortmund coach, Edin Terzić, talked highly about his team and brought forward the objective of becoming a successful club rather than playing sexy football with nothing to show for. Edin Terzić has been a fan of Borussia Dortmund since his boyhood and is known for his tactical masterclasses, along with the ability to evolve young players to a bigger stage material.
Going by these characteristics, Edin Terzić is a perfect fit for Borussia Dortmund as the club thrives on the growth of young stars and looks to achieve sporting success through these principles. The tactical genius of Edin Terzić was in full display when his side met Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in last year's UEFA Champions League group stage match, which required former Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland's acrobatic goal for Man City to win.
Going back to the saying of Edin Terzić about his side focusing on a "less sexy, more successful" style of play, their Champions League counterparts Newcastle United would nod on it. Newcastle United, under Eddie Howe, has been following this blueprint of getting the points even if it takes a dizzy playstyle.
The speed with which Eddie Howe and his men have shown improvement in the English Premier League is something to look up to, and it could well be what Edin Terzić is talking about with Borussia Dortmund this season. Interestingly, Borussia Dortmund has gotten better than Newcastle United in both home and away group-stage matches of the UEFA Champions League this season.
Eddie Howe may well be swallowing this bitter pill but realizing the things his players need to adapt if they are to play this brand of football. It was this game on November 7, that showed Borussia Dortmund's resolve to grind out 3 points in games through measured football. The parallels are being drawn between Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United because of the playstyles, but it is worth noting that the funding of clubs is totally different, and Newcastle needs to up their game if they are to replicate the Champions League consistency their counterparts enjoy.
If one is tasked with analyzing Borussia Dortmund and identifying how far they have come, the parameters are taken from Jürgen Klopp's decade-old golden team. Borussia Dortmund is a young and vibrant team. The scenes of absolute madness from the Yellow Wall come to mind as the heavy metal football they used to display. The fans buy Borussia Dortmund tickets to witness the atmosphere more than anything. A complete package of color and thrill coupled with a world-beating attitude is what's associated with Borussia Dortmund, but all of this goes in the background when the big boys of Bayern Munich come calling and take their crop of best players away (except Reus). The time of 2013 Champions League came to mind when they lost the final in London against none other than their nemesis, Bayern Munich. A catchphrase "Echte Liebe" - true love - emerged and was used to create an atmosphere of love and vibrance in the Signal Iduna Park stadium. This Echte Liebe proved to be more than just a marketing strategy; it drove emotions into the team through its fans, similar to what Liverpool did with their tagline of This Means More. The resemblance of Borussia Dortmund with Liverpool is not just limited to anthem and tagline usage but one can also factor in the current manager of Liverpool, Jürgen Klopp, who joined them from Borussia Dortmund.
Although BVB has been trying hard to retain the authenticity of the club by gestures such as keeping only a small amount of tickets on general sale, an evolution was inevitable. The success of 2013 was the fruit of the evolution that started in 2011 and 2012 under Jürgen Klopp. The championship of 2011 was nothing short of a fairy tale, considering the small budget with wages even lower than the QPR of the Premier League.
The celebration of the 2011 championship in Borgisplatz - the club's birthplace - was another signal of a brighter future. The visuals of Nuri Sahin standing on crutches amongst the delirious fans was refreshing, but on the other hand, they knew Sahin had signed with Real Madrid. No matter how much patriotism one shows, the time of playing with mates for kicks rather than cash has its limits, and it was very evident with Nuri Sahin's call. Achieving success is one thing; repeating it is another, and that requires expenses in today's age. Players deserve good packages to play at the top level.
The constant building and rebuilding is costly and time taking and has played the role of roadblock in Dortmund's speedy success. The cliches of Dortmund are eventually catching up with their Yellow Wall, and they are getting uneasy. The biggest of cliches Dortmund faces is the Bayern storm that pinched ten players away from them since Klopp's take over in 2008; Mario Götze and Robert Lewandowski are among the notables who formed the backbone of Klopp's team. Borussia Dortmund, on the other hand, are masters at nurturing young talents as after losing these key players, it took them less than 10 years to give the footballing world beaters like Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho (they also left the club).
The club has had quite a journey from the 20th century to Klopp's golden hand; formerly, they were the big spenders and winners. They also became the first German club to float on the stock exchange in 2000. There are two parts to the club, before and after 2005. The spending saw a stoppage, and the conflicts were on the rise. The conundrum of being a big club, but not at the expense of losing its identity.
Borussia Dortmund, under Terzic, seem to have found an identity for themselves and are looking comfortable in it. Dortmund is finding solace in sedate pace this season. Whether or not this strategy is best suited to them will only be known after checking their Champions League progress and also where they end up in the Bundesliga. What they do with the cliches that surround their club is also a matter that needs to be addressed on the backend.
This constant rebuild needs to stop as the evolution that is continuous needs a sharp go-ahead for them to emerge as the lone powerhouse of German clubs rather than playing second fiddle to Bayern Munich.
The comparisons are there with Newcastle United, but they have the luxury of big spending power with them. The only conundrum with them is how to spend under the UEFA's financial fair play rules. What they can learn from BVB is their vibrance, flamboyance, and passion, and both clubs need to be absolutely sure of what they want to be on the pitch. Newcastle have been unsure as to how they would run the game as a big team. Their reactive plays are great, but to emerge as the giant in the Premier League, they will need to learn how to run the game. Another one of those things is that they can take a leaf out of Borussia Dortmund.