Despite the fact that his team lost against Bayern Munich on Saturday night, Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck remains excited about his current Bundesliga club. Schlotterbeck – like every other observer of Bayern’s 2-1 win in the “Top Spiel” – was quick to point out that Dortmund played much better in the second half.
“We completely lacked courage and drive in the first half,” Schlotterbeck summed up while speaking to Sky Germany. “The second half was encouraging because I think we were even better than Bayern. It was fun.
“I’ve worked like a dog,” Schlotterbeck said of the nearly five months he’s recently spent rehabbing his ACL tear. “And when I can get into a rhythm I can step it up a bit. At the age of 25, I can still get very good and achieve a lot.“
Schlotterbeck found himself immediately inserted in the BVB starting XI by his most enthusiastic club head coach Niko Kovac as soon as he became available three matchdays ago. Since then, Schlotterbeck has logged maximum minutes in four league fixtures.
Julian Nagelsmann also immediately recalled Schlotterbeck to the German national team. The Waiblingen-native emerged as the biggest “winner” among all the German nationals involved in the October international break.
Small wonder that Schlotterbeck found himself in an enthusiastic mood when it came time to discuss his ongoing BVB contract negotiations with the Sky Sports desk. There remains plenty of time for both parties to work things out as Schlotterbeck’s deal runs until 2027.
“I can say that I feel very comfortable in Dortmund,” Schlotterbeck said. “The development with Niko is already a pleasure. It’s a lot of fun and I can say that – if we play like we did in the second half – then we can achieve a lot with BVB. I’m excited about the club.”
