FM17: Borussia Dortmund - Unser ganzes Leben, unser ganzer Stolz

[Michael Zorc]

Welcome to your new Football Manager 2017 Borussia Dortmund adventure!

Although I am obviously biased towards my beloved BVB, I do believe that Dortmund is one of the most fun and interesting teams to manage in Football Manager 2017. I hope this is a joy that many of you can share with me too.

Here is a list of reasons to perhaps consider a save with Dortmund:

* Do you want to manage in one of Europe's most competitive leagues, with difficult and challenging opponents such as Bayern, Schalke, Leverkusen, Wolfsburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach, as well as sleeping giants like Hamburg, Stuttgart and Werder Bremen?

* Do you want to lead a club in a league with large and beautiful stadiums, safe standing areas that help to create an enviable atmosphere full of theatre, and grounds that are filled to capacity and rich in colour wherever you go?

* Do you want to play in a league with a winter break so that players are fresh and ready to perform at their peak throughout the entire season?

* Do you want the challenge of competing at Europe's top level from the very outset, with a team that can match the very best on their day?

* Do you want to experience the passion and intensity of a strong local rivalry between ourselves and Schalke 04?

* Do you want to manage a top class squad - senior players like Marco Reus, Sebastian Rode, Andre Schurrle, Mario Gotze, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Matthias Ginter, Sven Bender, Marcel Schmelzer and Shinji Kagawa - with the positional flexibility to adapt to almost any tactical system?

* Do you want to lead a team full of outstanding local talent, with no fewer than 10 current or former German internationals, and many youngsters with the potential to play for the national team one day?

* Do you want access to some of Europe's finest training facilities to harness the potential of your current squad, as well as those future stars you lure in via the transfer market?

* Do you want to be at a club with a wealth of young talent - such as Julian Weigl, Christian Pulisic, Mikel Merino and Felix Passlack - supported by one of the most outstanding youth development programs in Europe?

* Do you want the finances to scout anywhere, with enough clout and money to attract the best and brightest prospects from throughout the continent and beyond?

Do you want all of this, and more?! If so, BVB could be the team for you!

Yes, it's true that you inherit wonderful players, facitilies and financial resources at this historic German club, but the strength, depth and quality of the Bundesliga ensures that there are no easy games. Furthermore, the size, tradition and economic strength of your opponents will help to keep things interesting for years to come. A challenging and enthralling league season awaits you no matter how good the Dortmund setup appears from the outside looking in!

As you can see, a BVB management career offers the rare quality of a squad capable of satisfying the most creative tacticians and football purists, while combining these characteristics with a league full of rivals that are tough enough to leave you gesticulating at the edge of your virtual dugout!

Club Overview

Basic Details

Competitions and Media Prediction

Rivalries and Derbies

The Club Kits

Club Legends and Icons

Recent Bundesliga History

Honours

Domestic

* German Championship/Bundesliga
- Winners (8): 1956, 1957, 1963, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2010–11, 2011–12
   
* DFB-Pokal/German Cup
- Winners (3): 1964–65, 1988–89, 2011–12

* DFB-Supercup/DFL-Supercup
- Winners (5): 1989, 1995, 1996, 2013, 2014
- (Unofficial winners): 2008

Regional

* Oberliga West/West German Championship
- Winners (6): 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1952–53, 1955–56, 1956–57 (record)

* Westphalia Cup/West German Cup
- Winners: 1947

European

* UEFA Champions League
- Winners: 1996–97

* UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
- Winners: 1965–66

International

* Intercontinental Cup
- Winners: 1997

Double

* 2011–2012: Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal

Records

Clubs records:

League Positions

Attendances

Results

Transfers

Players

Sequences

Borussia Dortmund's name is also attached to a number of Bundesliga records:

- Dortmund was on the receiving end of the worst loss ever in a Bundesliga match when they lost 12–0 away to Borussia Mönchengladbach on 29 April 1978.
- On 1 September 1993, BVB and Dynamo Dresden earned a total of five red cards between them.
- BVB and Bayern Munich were carded a record of 15 times (3 for Dortmund, 12 for Munich) in a match played on 7 April 2001.
- The most penalties in a match is five in a game played between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Dortmund on 9 November 1965.
- The first goal ever scored in Bundesliga play was by Dortmund's Friedhelm Konietzka against Werder Bremen; however, Werder Bremen won 3–2.
- Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is one of only two players, the other being Klaus Allofs, to have scored at least once in ten-straight Bundesliga matches. He is also the only player ever to have scored at least once in the first eight matchdays of a Bundesliga season.

The Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund Story: Unser ganzes Leben, unser ganzer Stolz (Our whole life, our whole pride)

A turbulent founding on 19/12/1909

Tumultuous scenes played out last evening in connection with the foundation of ”Ballspiel-Verein Borussia 1909“ [Ball Sports Club “Borussia 1909”] in the north east of Dortmund. Over 40 members of the youth Catholic Holy Trinity, Flurstrasse, met at 1900 in the ”Zum Wildschutz“ restaurant at Oesterholzstrasse 60, with the intention of founding ”BVB“ partly out of a love for sport but also out of anger at chaplain Hubert Dewald who is responsible for youth affairs in the trinity. Speaker and vice-president of the fledgling club, Franz Jacobi, announced, ”I have been a member of the Trinity Youth since 1902 and since 1906 we have been playing on the ”Weissen Wiese“. We footballers have been systematically attacked and defamed by our church since 1906. We can no longer put up with this. This club is absolutely necessary.“ Father Dewald tried to intervene personally to stop the founding without success. Both he and his followers were denied entry, at times forcibly. However, his appearance did see some 20 rebels back down and so just ”18“ true Borussen took part in the foundation. By the way, the name ”Borussia“ is leant from the Borussia brewery on the street Steiger Strasse. The club colours: blue and white stripes with a red inset, black shorts. The new club will now seek admittance to the West German FA.

The Famous Black and Yellow Colours Are Adopted...

When Dortmund’s Ballspielverein got off the ground in 1909, the very first BVB kits featured blue and white vertical stripes worn beneath a red sash.

During the summer of 1912, three local clubs – Rhenania, Britannia, and Deutsche Flagge – dissolved and merged with Borussia. The name remained, but the white and blue kits didn’t. The four clubs decided that Britannia’s “zitronengelb” (lemon yellow) should survive the merger and be worn by future BVB players. This look hasn’t changed ever since.

Over the next decades the club enjoyed only modest success playing in local leagues. They had a brush with bankruptcy in 1929 when an attempt to boost the club's fortunes by signing some paid professional footballers failed miserably and left the team deep in debt. They survived only through the generosity of a local supporter who covered the team's shortfall out of his own pocket.

The club did have greater success in the newly established Gauliga Westfalen, but would have to wait until after World War II to make a breakthrough. It was during this time that Borussia developed its intense rivalry with Schalke 04 of suburban Gelsenkirchen, the most successful side of the era. There was a short-lived attempt to merge the club with two others – Werksportgemeinschaft Hoesch and Freier Sportverein 98 – as Sportgemeinschaft Borussia von 1898, but it was as Ballspiel-Verein Borussia (BVB) that they made their first appearance in the national league final in 1949, where they lost 2–3 to VfR Mannheim.

First national titles

Between 1946 and 1963, Borussia featured in the Oberliga West, a first division league which dominated German football through the late 1950s. In 1949, Borussia reached the final in Stuttgart against VfR Mannheim, which they lost 2–3 after extra time. The club claimed its first national title in 1956 with a 4–2 win against Karlsruher SC. One year later, Borussia defeated Hamburger SV 4–1 to win their second national title. After this coup, the three Alfredos (Alfred Preißler, Alfred Kelbassa and Alfred Niepieklo) were legends in Dortmund. In 1963, Borussia won the last edition of the German Football Championship (before the introduction of the new Bundesliga) to secure their third national title.

Entry to the Bundesliga

In 1962, the DFB met in Dortmund and voted to finally establish a professional football league in Germany, to begin play in August 1963 as the Bundesliga. Borussia Dortmund earned its place among the first sixteen clubs to play in the new league by winning the last pre-Bundesliga national championship. Runners-up 1. FC Köln also earned an automatic berth. It was Dortmund's Friedhelm Konietzka who scored the first-ever Bundesliga goal barely a minute into the match, which they would eventually lose 2–3 to Werder Bremen.

In 1965, Dortmund captured its first DFB-Pokal. In 1966, Dortmund won the European Cup Winners' Cup 2–1 against Liverpool in extra time, with the goals coming from Sigfried Held and Reinhard Libuda. In the same year, however, the team surrendered a commanding position atop the Bundesliga by losing four of their last five league games and finishing second, three points behind champions 1860 München. Ironically, much of 1860 München's success came on the strength of the play of Konietzka, recently transferred from Dortmund.

The 1970s were characterized by financial problems, relegation from the Bundesliga in 1972, and the opening of the Westfalenstadion, named after its home region Westphalia in 1974. The club earned its return to Bundesliga in 1976.

Dortmund continued to suffer from financial problems through the 1980s. BVB narrowly avoided being relegated again in 1986 by winning a third decisive playoff game against Fortuna Köln after finishing the regular season in 16th place.

Dortmund did not enjoy any significant success again until a 4–1 DFB-Pokal win in 1989 against Werder Bremen. It was Horst Köppel's first trophy as a manager. Dortmund then won the 1989 DFL-Supercup 4–3 against rivals Bayern Munich.

Golden age – the 1990s

After a tenth-place finish in the Bundesliga in 1991, manager Horst Köppel was let go and manager Ottmar Hitzfeld was hired.

In 1992, Hitzfeld led Borussia Dortmund to a second-place finish in the Bundesliga and would have won the title had VfB Stuttgart not won their last game to become champions instead.

Along with a fourth-place finish in the Bundesliga, Dortmund made it to the 1993 UEFA Cup final, which they lost 6–1 on aggregate to Juventus. In spite of this result, Borussia walked away with DM25 million under the prize money pool system in place at the time for German sides participating in the Cup. Cash flush, Dortmund was able to sign players who later brought them numerous honours in the 1990s.

Under the captaincy of 1996 European Footballer of the Year Matthias Sammer, Borussia Dortmund won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 1995 and 1996. Dortmund also won the DFL-Supercup against Mönchengladbach in 1995 and 1. FC Kaiserslautern in 1996.

In 1996–97 the team reached its first European Cup final. In a memorable 1997 UEFA Champions League Final at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Dortmund faced the holders Juventus. Karl-Heinz Riedle put Dortmund ahead, shooting under goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi from a cross by Paul Lambert. Riedle then made it two with a bullet header from a corner kick. In the second half, Alessandro Del Piero pulled one back for Juventus with a back heel. Then 20-year-old substitute and local boy Lars Ricken latched onto a through pass by Andreas Möller. Only 16 seconds after coming on to the pitch, Ricken chipped Peruzzi in the Juventus goal from over 20 yards out with his first touch of the ball. With Zinedine Zidane unable to make an impression for Juventus against the close marking of Lambert, Dortmund lifted the trophy with a 3–1 victory.

Dortmund then went on to beat Brazilian club Cruzeiro 2–0 in the 1997 Intercontinental Cup Final to become world club champions. Borussia Dortmund were the second German club to win the Intercontinental Cup, after Bayern Munich in 1976.

21st century and Borussia "goes public"

At the turn of the millennium, Borussia Dortmund became the first—and so far the only—publicly traded club on the German stock market.

In 2002, Borussia Dortmund won their third Bundesliga title. Dortmund had a remarkable run at the end of the season to overtake Bayer Leverkusen, securing the title on the final day. Manager Matthias Sammer became the first person in Borussia Dortmund history to win the Bundesliga as both a player and manager. In the same season, Borussia lost the final of the 2001–02 UEFA Cup to Dutch side Feyenoord.

Dortmund's fortunes then steadily declined for a number of years. Poor financial management led to a heavy debt load and the sale of their Westfalenstadion grounds. The situation was compounded by failure to advance in the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, when the team was eliminated on penalties in the qualifying rounds by Club Brugge. In 2003, Bayern Munich loaned €2 million to Dortmund for several months to pay their payroll. Borussia was again driven to the brink of bankruptcy in 2005, the original €11 value of its shares having plummeted by over 80% on the Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse (Frankfurt Stock Exchange). The response to the crisis included a 20% pay cut for all players.

In 2006, in order to reduce debt, the Westfalenstadion was renamed "Signal Iduna Park" after a local insurance company. The naming rights agreement runs until 2016. The stadium is currently the largest football stadium in Germany with a capacity of 80,720 spectators, and hosted several matches in the 2006 World Cup, including a semi-final. Borussia Dortmund enjoys the highest average attendance of any football club in Europe, at 80,478 per match (2010–11).

Dortmund suffered a miserable start to the 2005–06 season, but rallied to finish seventh. The club failed to gain a place in the UEFA Cup via the Fair Play draw. The club's management recently indicated that the club again showed a profit; this was largely related to the sale of David Odonkor to Real Betis and Tomáš Rosický to Arsenal.

In the 2006–07 season, Dortmund unexpectedly faced serious relegation trouble for the first time in years. Dortmund went through three coaches and appointed Thomas Doll on 13 March 2007 after dropping to just one point above the relegation zone. Christoph Metzelder also left Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer.

In the 2007–08 season, Dortmund lost to many smaller Bundesliga clubs. Despite finishing 13th in the Bundesliga table, Dortmund reached the DFB-Pokal Final against Bayern Munich, where they lost 2–1 in extra time. The final appearance qualified Dortmund for the UEFA Cup because Bayern already qualified for the Champions League. Thomas Doll resigned on 19 May 2008 and was replaced by Jürgen Klopp.

Return to prominence

In the 2009–10 season, Dortmund qualified for the UEFA Europa League and finished fifth in the Bundesliga. The team missed an opportunity to qualify for the Champions League by failing to beat eighth-place VfL Wolfsburg and 14th-place SC Freiburg in the final two matches of the campaign. Nonetheless, they demonstrated a renewed charisma and passion under the direction of coach Jürgen Klopp.

Entering the 2010–11 season, Dortmund fielded a young and vibrant roster. On 4 December 2010, Borussia became Herbstmeister ("Autumn Champion"), an unofficial accolade going to the league leader at the winter break. They did this three matches before the break, sharing the record for having achieved this earliest with Eintracht Frankfurt (1993–94) and 1. FC Kaiserslautern (1997–98). On 30 April 2011, the club beat 1. FC Nürnberg 2–0 at home, while second-place Bayer Leverkusen lost, leaving Dortmund eight points clear with two games to play. This championship equaled the seven national titles held by rivals Schalke 04, and guaranteed a spot in the 2011–12 Champions League group stages.

One year later, Dortmund made a successful defense of its Bundesliga title with a win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, again on the 32nd match day. By the 34th and final match day, Dortmund set a new record with the most points—81—ever gained by a club in one Bundesliga season. This was surpassed the following season by Bayern Munich's 91 points. The club's eighth championship places it third in total national titles, and players will now wear two stars over their uniform crest in recognition of the team's five Bundesliga titles. Notable names from the winning roster include Lucas Barrios, Mario Götze, Neven Subotić, Mats Hummels, Robert Lewandowski, Shinji Kagawa, Łukasz Piszczek, Jakub Błaszczykowski, Kevin Großkreutz, Ivan Perišić and İlkay Gündoğan. The club capped its successful 2011–12 season by winning the double for the first time by beating Bayern 5–2 in the final of the DFB-Pokal. Borussia Dortmund are one of four German clubs to win the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double, along with Bayern Munich, 1. FC Köln and Werder Bremen. The club was voted Team of the Year 2011 at the annual Sportler des Jahres (German Sports Personality of the Year) awards.

Borussia Dortmund ended the 2012–13 season in second place in the Bundesliga. Dortmund played in their second UEFA Champions League Final against Bayern Munich in the first ever all-German club final at Wembley Stadium on 25 May 2013, which they lost 2–1.

In the 2013–14 season, Borussia Dortmund won the 2013 DFL-Supercup 4–2 against rivals Bayern Munich. The 2013–14 season started with a five-game winning streak for Dortmund, their best start to a season. Despite such a promising start, however, their season was hampered by injuries to several key players, seeing them stoop as low as fourth place in the table, and with a depleted squad could go only as far as the quarter-finals of the Champions League, losing 3–2 on aggregate to Real Madrid. Nevertheless, Dortmund managed to end their season on a high note by finishing second in the Bundesliga and reaching the 2014 DFB-Pokal Final, losing 0–2 to Bayern in extra time. They then began their 2014–15 season by defeating Bayern in the 2014 DFL-Supercup 2–0. However, this victory would not be enough to inspire the squad to a solid performance at the start of the ensuing season, with Dortmund recording various results such as a 0–1 loss to Hamburger SV and two 2–2 draws against VfB Stuttgart and Bundesliga newcomers Paderborn 07. During the winter, Dortmund fell to the bottom of the table on multiple occasions, but managed to escape the relegation zone after four consecutive wins in February. On 15 April 2015, Jürgen Klopp announced that after seven years, he would be leaving Dortmund. Four days later, Dortmund announced that Thomas Tuchel would replace Klopp at the end of the season. Klopp's final season, however, ended on high note, rising and finishing seventh after facing relegation, gaining a DFB-Pokal final with VfL Wolfsburg and qualifying for the 2015–16 Europa League.

In the 2015–16 season, Dortmund started off on a high, winning 4–0 against Borussia Mönchengladbach on the opening day, followed by five-straight wins which took them to the top of the Bundesliga. After the eighth matchday, they were surpassed by Bayern Munich following an unlucky draw with 1899 Hoffenheim. Dortmund kept their performances up, winning 24 out of 34 league games and becoming the best Bundesliga runner-up team of all time. In the Europa League, they advanced to the quarter-finals, getting knocked out by a Jürgen Klopp-led Liverpool in a dramatic comeback at Anfield, where defender Dejan Lovren scored a late goal to make it 4–3 to the Reds and 5–4 on aggregate. In the 2015–16 DFB-Pokal, for the third-straight year Dortmund made it to the competition final, but lost to Bayern Munich on penalties.

Feel the adrenalin:

In the club's own words...

Borussia Dortmund is the intense football experience

Borussia Dortmund stands for intensity, authenticity, cohesion and ambition. There's an intense character to everything we do. Our stadium is the epicentre. This is where all of BVB's energy is released. We enjoy a special place in the hearts of all our fans: their unconditional loyalty has carried us through the good times and the bad for more than 100 years. We are determined to give them something back. Be it through sporting success, or through our promise to remain true to our traditional ethos and be as we've always been: sincere, candid, battling and grounded in the values of Dortmund – the city and its people.

Intensity

Borussia Dortmund is a uniquely intensive footballing experience. Everything about the club is charged with maximum energy and deep emotion. The club colours black and yellow are a visual expression of this intensity. It makes BVB unique and ensures that the club captivates so many people.

Authenticity

Borussia Dortmund is wholeheartedly loved by its fans. Like them, BVB is deeply connected to the values that characterise its home city Dortmund and the Westfalian region: candour, sincerity and grit. We wear this authenticity as a badge of honour but also bear the scars and worry lines that come with it. It makes BVB endearing and ensures the club is supported by its fans through thick and thin.

Cohesion

Borussia Dortmund is a spiritual home and extended family for many people. BVB carries enormous appeal: for the people of Dortmund, it is the one constant that provides happiness and solidarity in a city that has experienced so much upheaval. The fans' unconditional loyalty is a visible expression of this cohesion. It has made BVB a crowd magnet and ensures that the club can always rely on its fans even during difficult times.

Ambition

Borussia Dortmund is an important and successful club. BVB has won many hearts in its long history and delivered many major honours: the UEFA Champions League, European trophies and German championships. The willingness to always give everything for the cause and get up time and again after falling is the visual expression of this ambition. It has made BVB a permanent fixture in the Bundesliga and ensures that it can face its opponents full of confidence and pride.

The Stadium

Eightyone thousand three hundred and sixty

That's how many fans fit into WESTFALENSTADION, Germany's largest football stadium

If you had told the people of Dortmund 30 years ago about a football temple with a capacity of over 80,000 in their city centre - a stadium boasting a glass façade, undersoil heating and the largest stand in Europe - they would have all smiled tolerantly at such a fanciful notion. Nowadays, though, the WESTFALENSTADION on Strobelallee is Germany’s largest football stadium with a capacity of exactly 81,360. The fact that the outlay for Borussia’s enormous arena almost crippled the club financially is another matter entirely – and one which was fortunately resolved at the end of May 2006.

The venue located on Strobelallee – known as “the temple” by fans and regularly dubbed “the most beautiful stadium in the country” by the press, professionals and VIPS alike – has been one of the largest and most comfortable stadia in Europe since the third expansion phase was completed. A long process of construction and conversion reached its peak when the stadium was renovated in the run-up the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Yet works are carried out on the stadium every summer, with BVB investing some ten million Euro in the renovation of the now-ageing arena in 2012 alone: both the grass and the drainage in the southern half of the pitch were replaced; the south stand was strengthened by support measures; concrete sanitation measures were implemented in the northern part; seven new VIP boxes were added in the part of the east stand where the press area used to be; new cameras armed with impressive digital technology provide greater security, with the away area and the lower tier of the south stand in particular under increased observation; and in the year before new scoreboards were installed.

The stadium story began some 40 years ago - on 5 April 1965 to be precise. After four long years of discussing the expansion and modernisation of the somewhat outdated "Rote Erde" arena, the city’s Central and Financial Committee "took note of the suggestion not to expand the Rote Erde stadium, but instead to build a new football stadium by incorporating the two western practice fields and the small surface area occupied by the air bath". The first step on the path to building a completely new arena - named the "Twin Stadium" in official circles in view of its parallel construction to the Rote Erde - had been taken.

Yet the project did not gather full momentum until the city of Cologne decided against building a new stadium at the start of the 1970s, paving the way for Dortmund to apply as a host city for the 1974 World Cup – and for the construction of a new stadium. Without the federal and state funding provided, the financing of the Westfalenstadion would simply not have been feasible.

On 2 April 1974 - nine years after the official decision had been made – the Westfalenstadion was officially opened, with the stadium offering 54,000 predominantly standing spaces. The inauguration took place in a friendly match against Schalke 04. And the stadium has lost none of its aura since. Quite the opposite, in fact. Radio broadcasters rave about the “temple of German football” when they report from such a unique arena: the proximity to the pitch, the acoustics thanks to its complete roofing and the unique passion the fans in the Ruhr have for the beautiful game. All of this creates a crackling atmosphere, casting a spell over spectators and striking fear into opponents. An opinion poll in May 2006 saw professional footballers at the 18 Bundesliga clubs rate the grounds in Hamburg (28%) and Dortmund (27%) as their favourites.

To be precise, the history of the WESTFALENSTADION dates back to the year 1961. It was then that the Sporting Committee first discussed the expansion of the "Rote Erde Arena". In those days, which were characterised by structural change in the Ruhr and the onset of the coal and steel crisis, money was no less of a boundary than it is today. That goes some way to explaining why ten years went by before the Council decided on 4 October 1971 to build the Westfalenstadion. Finances still proved problematic, though.

The German Football Association might have been awarded hosting rights for the 1974 World Cup in 1966, yet Dortmund’s plans for a new stadium to be constructed in a conventional design – thus costing 30 million Euro - threatened to fall apart. Despite the clear decision by the Council, administrative authorities were still exploring the option of expanding the existing arena in a bid to save costs.

The head of the sports department Erich Rüttel succeeded with his proposal to build a stadium based on the model of the Canadian Olympic City of Montreal (1976) using prefabricated construction methods. It was the decisive breakthrough. The costs were halved, with the outlay in initial talks estimated at 27 million Marks (almost 14 million Euro). By the end of the construction works, it came to seven million Marks more.

Just five months later, on 19 October 1970, the Council gave the plans the green light and decided to begin building the Westfalenstadion the following year. Over 80% of the 17 million Euro costs were funded by federal and state support, lottery takings and donations. The city contributed three million Marks to this sum, realising early on that the 1974 FIFA World Cup would offer them an unprecedented chance to construct a suitable arena for the future – without the World Cup there would have been no funding. After all, the provisional stand in the south curve of the "Rote Erde" already showed signs of damage and an internal paper by the Planning Committee revealed: "After the dismantling of this stand, the capacity will be reduced to 25,000."

The Westfalenstadion, on the other hand, would hold 56,000 fans. Ultimately, it was around 54,000, although only 17,000 places were seated. The fact that the majority of spectators (47,000) were covered by a roof received special praise from BVB's then President, Heinz Günther. It offered "the average man in the street" a roof over his head, which was by no means usual at that time.

Zaire, Scotland, Sweden, Brazil and tournament runners-up Holland played their 1974 group stage matches at the Westfalenstadion as football fever gripped the city of Dortmund. All of the enthusiasm that had been present in the golden years of the '50s and '60s returned to the city during the World Cup, and could soon be felt at fixtures in the second tier of the Bundesliga. Regular attendances of over 45,000 fans - three times as many as beforehand in the Rote Erde - suddenly flocked to BVB matches as the club benefited considerably from its new stadium. Two years later, in June 1976, Borussia returned to the top tier of German football. In 1983, the club then celebrated its return to the European stage following a 15-year absence. The Black and Yellows won the DFB Cup in 1989, the German league title in 1995, 1996 and 2002 and reached three European finals, winning one - the most important one against Italian giants Juventus in the 1997 UEFA Champions League.

For the 18-year period up until 1992, the Westfalenstadion remained largely in its original condition. However, the 14 years that followed were characterised by drastic modifications - five in total. In 1992, the stadium capacity was reduced to 42,800 spectators when the standing places in the north stand were converted into seats. As part of expansion stage one, the capacity of the west and east stands was increased by 6,000 places respectively thanks to the addition of a further upper tier three years later. The second expansion phase saw the capacity increase to 68,600 in 1999 when the south stand - the focal point of Dortmund's enthusiasm for football - was increased to 24,454 to make it the largest stand in Europe. For international matches, the standing spaces can be transformed into seats.

On 6 May 2002, the works on the closure and the expansion of the corner areas finally got underway. First of all, 15-metre-long foundation piles were inserted into the ground in the north and south area and placed in the corners of what later became the stairway, redirecting the incredible load of 3,000 tonnes per stand roof onto stable ground. The foundation work for the supports and staircases took place on these piles. Yet another highly demanding engineering challenge was the construction of the stadium roofing. As part of this process, the corner pylons inside the stadium which supported the roof and therefore obstructed the view of spectators sitting in the new seats in the expanded corner area were replaced by eight externally installed yellow steel pylons.

The third expansion stage, which was completed on 13 September 2003, did more than just increase the stadium capacity to around 14,000. BVB has now sets new standards when it comes to providing top-notch hospitality. With a total of 3,450 seats in its catering areas, WESTFALENSTADION is also home to the largest hospitality area in the German Bundesliga. However, everything is still in proportion in Dortmund's ground, with the catering areas only holding a modest percentage of the entire stadium capacity.

The eight 62-metre-high yellow pylons have since become a landmark in the Dortmund skyline. In December 2005 they were joined by letters spelling the stadium name, which are up to 3.5 metres high and visible in the distance from main roads 54 and 1, appearing in black by day and glowing white by night.

Following the expansion, BVB fans readily accepted their temple with great pride. And the club's marvellous attendance record in recent years attests to this. A breath-taking work of construction and phenomenal fans provide the club with the optimal conditions to host many great football spectacles in the greatest (and biggest) ground in the Bundesliga. To be exact, it can now hold exactly 81,360 spectators due to the reconstruction measures taken prior to the World Cup (including the removal of the last seat shells from 1974 and the demolition of the front sections) and the modernisation work carried out before the 2012/13 season.

Only one footballer has had really negative experiences in the "temple" on Strobelallee in this 32-year-period: ex-Braunschweig player Danilo Popivoda. On 23 April 1977, with worms plaguing the turf, Popivoda found himself unmarked just six metres from the Borussia goal, drew his foot back to shoot and slipped on a piece of grass no longer attached to its worm-infested roots. He landed on his nose, while the ball stopped in front of the line. Borussia and Braunschweig drew the match 0-0.

In Football Manager 2017:

One of the biggest stadiums in Europe, often filled to capacity, and a perfect pitch to play any type of football you can realistically dream of. What more could a manager ask for?

...and Facilities

Borussia Dortmund's training ground and Academy base Hohenbuschei is located in Brackel, a district of Dortmund. Inside the complex, there are physical exercise training for physical fitness and rehabilitation robotics areas, physiotherapy and massage rooms, and remedial and hydrotherapy pools. There are also sauna rooms, steam rooms and weight rooms, classrooms, conference halls, offices for the BVB front office, a restaurant, and a TV studio to interview the BVB professional footballers and coaching staff for BVB total!. On the grounds, there are five grass pitches, two of which have under-soil heating, one artificial grass field, two small grass pitches and a multi-functional sports arena. The site covers a total area of 18,000 m2 (190,000 sq ft). In addition, Dortmund owns the Footbonaut, a training robot which is effectively a 14 m2 (150 sq ft) training cage.

In Football Manager 2017:

Rather good in most areas! Could certainly improve the junior coaching, though, as a number one priority. The club definitely has the resources, it's just a matter of gaining the trust of the Board and then asking for an improvement to be made.

The Players

Goalkeepers

First Team Options

GK - Roman Burki - Bürki is getting used to a new way of life. Eight cameras surround him as he steps into his first press conference. At Borussia, everything's that bit bigger, and tranquil Breisgau is behind him. Still present, however, is Roman Bürki's art of football playing, of goalkeeping. His rise to success has been as rapid as his goalkeeping is fierce. The keeper doesn't just catch balls - he's an enemy interceptor. He mainly saves goals, but also builds up play and cleverly destroys any threats coming from the opposition. Most importantly he is consistent in his execution of these roles. His kicker average of 2.72 is astounding, as is his total of eight times as "Fachmagazin's" player of the match - this is more than any other Bundesliga player!

When his team are in possession, Bürki often stands far from his line; so far that his centre-backs are beside him as opposed to infront of him. "I'm a keeper who likes to have the ball at his feet," says Bürki - and adds confidently: "And I'm a keeper who's not afraid of making a wrong pass." His passes are quick, if a little risky. But that's exactly what makes them dangerous for the opponent. You have to be confident to make that kind of pass, and you have to be independent, both of which are Roman Bürki's strengths. The 24-year-old is soaring through his new life with his eyes wide open. He reflects on experiences, not letting them throw him off course.

Age: 25

Nationality: Swiss

Transfer Value: £8.25M

Wage: £41.5K p/w until 30/6/2019

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GK - Roman Weidenfeller - "Weidenfeller, who was not without controversy in his early years at BVB, is one of the recognised leaders of his club. He is regarded as a guarantor of security and stability," kicker wrote early on about the shot-stopper, that learnt the fundamentals of football "from his father at home in the countryside." "There," said Weidenfeller, "I learned early on how to securely catch the ball. Later we moved onto several arduous extra shifts."

A quarter of a century has passed since then. The once impulsive goalkeeper has become calmer. "I think the same applies for me as for a good red wine, which must mature before it can be perfect. With age comes composure, and one takes quite a different approach to things," he says. "You can also better identify different playing situations. I still like to train a lot and train hard, and until now I haven‘t used a walking aid to show up to the training ground. It is very important to know what the body needs. For that reason, I often work in the weights room to try and prevent injury."

In the ranking of all BVB players with the most Bundesliga appearances, he has climbed to second place.

Age: 35

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £475K

Wage: £49.5K p/w until 30/6/2017

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Decent Backup Alternatives/Youth Prospects

GK - Hendrik Bonmann - In the goalkeeping hierarchy at Borussia Dortmund, Hendrick Bonmann has moved up a place and starts the season as third choice at the black and yellows.

The association with Borussia Dortmund came during his childhood, and here also his grandfather had an influence. Bonmann’s grandfather, season ticket holder at the Westphalia stadium, took his grandson to Dortmund and infected him with the yellow and gold virus. When the 21 year old moved to his favorite team in July 2013, a dream came true. The beginning of his time at Dortmund was very promising, before an operation on his hip saw him sit out half the season. But Bonmann fought back, is now between the posts for the second team and is third choice for the professionals.

Age: 22

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £140K

Wage: £2.6K p/w until 30/6/2018

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Centre Backs (left-footed)

First Team Options

None

Decent Backup Alternatives/Youth Prospects

None

Centre Backs (right-footed)

First Team Options

D (C) / D (R), DM, M (C) - Matthias Ginter - The 21-year-old impresses with his pronounced intelligence for the game, his smart attacking play, his incredible calmness around the ball and his formidable openings. His success rate at controlling balls from his teammates stands at 84, or rather 80%. That's an unbelievably good rate, and proof that his prospects are far-reaching. "In Dortmund," he says, "I want to develop towards the next stage of my sporting potential."

Considering his capacities, the BVB fans should be excited. Matthias Ginter is definitely ready: "I'm ambitious enough to attack." And: "Many sportspeople say that the more difficult times have shaped them more than anything," says the 21-year-old. He explains: "Because it's those experiences that make you better-equipped for the future."

Michael Zorc has full confidence in Ginter: "as strong and versatile German talent, we have become very invested in Matthias." He required a lot of patience at SC Freiburg; but finally the club accepted Dortmund's offer. Ginter signed a 5-year contract lasting until June 2019.

Age: 22

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £11.5M

Wage: £33K p/w until 30/6/2019

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D (C) - Sokratis Papastathopoulos - On 24 May 2013, the eve of the 2013 Champions League Final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Papastathopoulos completed a €9.5 million transfer to Dortmund, agreeing to a five-year contract through to 2018. Upon signing, he spoke about the deal, saying, "Money did not play a role in my decision to join Dortmund. My own future was all that mattered and I am convinced that I made the right decision." With centre back Felipe Santana departing Dortmund for Schalke 04, Papastathopoulos began as the effective third-choice behind tandem Neven Subotić and Mats Hummels. Borussia Dortmund Sporting Director Michael Zorc expressed his satisfaction with the deal: "We are delighted that Sokratis has decided to join Borussia Dortmund. He is a flexible player capable to play in a variety of positions in defence who we believe has tremendous potential."

Age: 28

Nationality: Greek

Transfer Value: £17M

Wage: £49K p/w until 30/6/2019

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Decent Backup Alternatives/Youth Prospects

D (C) - Marc Bartra - Bartra is a product of La Masia, the world-famous youth academy at Barcelona.

Bartra’s ability to pass the ball and to play as a ball-playing defender are obvious signs that he is a direct replacement for Hummels. Without going too far down a hurtful memory lane, we can all remember some incredible passes Hummels made during his time at BVB. Having a center-back who can unlock defenses is a luxury that was clearly important to those making the footballing decisions at Dortmund.

Age: 25

Nationality: Spanish

Transfer Value: £18.25M

Wage: £75K p/w until 30/6/2020

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D (C) - Neven Subotic - On 4 June 2008, it was announced that Subotić had signed with Borussia Dortmund on a five-year contract.

Here in Dortmund, he feels at home. "Dortmund is a very beautiful city that offers everything you need. Home games in front of 80,000 people are pretty unique". Playing for the Black and Yellows, he celebrated winning two championships and the German Cup in an exuberant manner that’s never before been seen by a top player in the history of the league. The video, which shows him dancing on the roof of his car in front of fans after having the title win in 2011, is legendary, and serves as a powerful symbol of the unusual affinity that still prevails in Dortmund between the fan base and its admired professionals.

Age: 27

Nationality: Serbian

Transfer Value: £3.7M

Wage: £33K p/w until 30/6/2018

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D (C) / D (R), DM - Patrick Fritsch - Patrick Fritsch may be just 17-years old, but you can see quite a bit of Hummels in his game – an ability to play the ball out of the back which suits the new system being imposed by Thomas Tuchel in the post Jürgen Klopp regime.

He’s featured for Germany at U16 and U17 levels and has been touted for high praise from many inside the club, including Tuchel himself.

Age: 17

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £110K

Wage: £55 p/w until 30/6/2017

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Left Wing Backs

First Team Options

D/WB (L) - Marcel Schmelzer - Hard work is the foundation of all sporting success. Marcel Schmelzer has experienced this through the Dortmund way, going into his eighth season with the Black and Yellows. After a year of setbacks, the left-back wants to return to a BVB in the cluster of teams at the top of the league.

In 2008, Marcel Schmelzer was still playing for the second team. Even there, he was mostly on the bench. When he learned from his former coach Theo Schneider during the summer break that he was to train with the first team, Schmelzer, who was spending some free time with his parents in Magdeburg, grabbed his things together and returned to Dortmund, where he had to stay on an air mattress in his vacant apartment.

Subsequently, the blond-haired Schmelzer struggled gradually to approach the professional team. When his buddy and former idol Dede got injured, he was able to prove himself for the first time. "Do not try to copy Dede. You are Schmelle!", urged his former coach and advocate Jürgen Klopp. "Play with an emphasis on defending initially. You can be attacking later on." Through faith in his own strengths and skills, the native of Magdeburg developed to become the most consistent German left-back in recent years.

Age: 28

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £12.25M

Wage: £41.5K p/w until 30/6/2021

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D/WB (L) / M (LC), AM (L) - Raphael Guerreiro - A slew of Europe's biggest clubs, including the likes of Barcelona and Liverpool, were interested in the young Portuguese player but ultimately Zorc was able to convince yet another young promising talent to join Thomas Tuchel's project in Dortmund.

One of the most sought-after characteristics of modern football is pace and Guerreiro certainly has it, the Portuguese international impressed a lot of clubs with his incredible runs up the field during last years campaign. His technique and first touch allowed him to move quickly up the field and provide width for his team often resulting in dangerous situations for opposing teams. In defense his biggest strength is his anticipation, Guerreiro often intercepts passes which can initiate counter-attacks but it can also be a gamble in case he doesn't get the ball.

Age: 22

Nationality: Portuguese

Transfer Value: £23M

Wage: £32.5K p/w until 30/6/2020

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Decent Backup Alternatives/Youth Prospects

D/WB (L) / DM, M (C) - Park Joo-Ho - Borussia Dortmund defender Joo Ho Park came in during the summer window with little aplomb and rightfully so. He was supposed to be the back up left back and only then because Erik Durm was out with injury.

In his first game in the black and yellow Park went a full 90 minutes, making runs down the left hand side and delivering dangerous crosses. Arguably the man of the match, he provided the assist to Matthias Ginter to get Dortmund level. Then in stoppage time, Ginter repaid the favor crossing to Park who headed in a last minute winner.

Age: 29

Nationality: South Korean

Transfer Value: £2.2M

Wage: £49.5K p/w until 30/6/2018

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Right Wing Backs

First Team Options

D/WB (R) - Lukasz Piszczek - The full-back combines athleticism with experience. He hasn’t just got good vision and awareness, but also brings a lot of pace on the right wing.

One of his greatest strengths is his versatility. He can play both offensively and defensively on both sides. In addition, the 184cm tall Pole has an extremely good technical knowledge, is a very good striker of the ball and as a trained striker he has a “natural” tendency to play towards the opposing goal. As a Polish international the 31 year old has a lot of international experience behind him.

Age: 31

Nationality: Polish

Transfer Value: £5.5M

Wage: £33K p/w until 30/6/2018

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D/WB (R) / D/WB (L) - Erik Durm - Like so often in life, luck has been a big part of Erik Durm’s story. The young man describes the moment when his career changed massively: “I was playing in the Borussia Dortmund second team when, one day, late in the second half of the 2012/13 season, Jürgen Klopp came to me after training and said that he could see me as a Bundesliga defender”.

This was the start of a learning period that’s still on-going. “I had to learn how to be a defender basically from scratch. I’d been a dyed in the wool striker since I was 14. Yes, you do have to do some defensive work, but it’s completely different when someone like Gareth Bale is running towards you…” He had support from skilled players Lukasz Piszczek and Marcel Schmelzer, with whom he’s formed a friendly relationship.

Since his move to the back of the pitch, the outside wing is his fast lane, where he’s permanently on the move, never losing his footing.

Age: 24

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £9.25M

Wage: £25K p/w until 30/6/2019

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Decent Backup Alternatives/Youth Prospects

D/WB (R) / M/AM (R) - Felix Passlack - Blessed with excellent pace, the ability to provide consistent service and a direct style, such qualities lend him to that supporting right-back role in the tactical system deployed by Tuchel.  He still has plenty of room to grow, but his current level of ability should be more than enough to see him feature this season with the view of being first-choice at the club by the age of 19.

Age: 18

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £10.75M

Wage: £3.9K p/w until 30/6/2018

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Central Midfielders (left-footed)

First Team Options

DM, M (C) - Mikel Merino - Merino is a central midfielder who can play from box-to-box with ease. At only 20-years-old, he has bucket loads of potential.

Age: 20

Nationality: Spanish

Transfer Value: £3.5M

Wage: £8.5K p/w until 30/6/2021

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DM, M (C) - Nuri Sahin - Sahin is technically gifted, an excellent dribbler and takes responsibility during critical moments of play. The 26 year old understands how to close down quickly, fill spaces and set up plays. All with incredible precision.

He is a man of superlatives. Youngest  Bundesliga player at the age of 16 years and 355 days, youngest Bundesliga goal scorer (17 years, 81 days), youngest Turkish national team player, youngest goal scorer in the kit of Turkey, when he scored against Germany on 8 October 2005 in a 2-0 victory.

An explosive start. Arsene Wenger, head coach at Arsenal, said at the time: “worldwide, Sahin is the most talented player under 18.” What an accolade for the young Sahin.

However, even for Sahin, who in his first Bundesliga season (2005/2006) became a top assist maker at BVB, the unwritten rules of professional football came into effect. It is more difficult to stay at the top than to get there.

In September 2014, BVB acquired the transfer rights to Sahin back from Real Madrid. In 2013/2014 he was the only Dortmund player to appear in every single Bundesliga game, starting 31 times. The year after was one to forget however. He was kept out of the first half of the season by a knee injury and, just as he was starting to get stronger, his season was ended by another injury. At 26 years of age he said: “what I have experienced so far in my career would have been plenty for the career of a 36 year old.”

Age: 27

Nationality: Turkish

Transfer Value: £7.5M

Wage: £49.5K p/w until 30/6/2018

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Decent Backup Alternatives/Youth Prospects

DM, M (C) - Dzenis Burnic - 18 year old Burnic is the newest player to be promoted from the U19's to the first team. He hasn't yet made his first team debut in a competitive match, but he has shown that he can hold his own in friendlies and U19 matches.

Age: 18

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £300K

Wage: £350 p/w until 30/6/2018

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Central Midfielders (right-footed)

First Team Options

DM, M (C) - Julian Weigl - "Julian is brimming with reckless abandon, liveliness and he has the ability to take things in and learn quickly. These are greats signs that we are getting from him. He is an open and sincere young man."

This appraisal came from Thomas Tuchel, after only a few days of working together. Not a bad basis for someone who describes himself as a challenger. Weigl was just 19 years of age.

Age: 20

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £23M

Wage: £8.25K p/w until 30/6/2019

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DM, M (C) - Sebastian Rode - The one thing that Rode brings to the table that is so valuable is his motor. When he's on the field, "effort" is never in question. Rode will run through a brick wall for his teammates in order to help them achieve their goals. It may seem like a minor thing, but partnering Rode's motor with another player's creativity in the midfield can bode well for any team.

Age: 25

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £15M

Wage: £49.5K p/w until 30/6/2020

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Decent Backup Alternatives/Youth Prospects

D (C), DM, M (C) - Sven Bender - He's self-critical, and incredibly fair. The "iron man" takes on fractures and blows like almost no other, and never ducks out of a challenge. Sven something.

Bender is unusually hard on himself. He is uncompromising on the pitch, but plays fairly, making him a valuable sporting role model (he received only twelve yellow cards in 133 Bundesliga matches).

"He goes for balls with his head in a way that I never could, not even with my feet," says Nuri Sahin, acknowledging Bender's madness. His commitment is another of his biggest strengths. On average he covers over twelve kilometers per game, which is more than can be said for any other Borussia Dortmund player.

He is skillful on the pitch and has a feel for time and space. He is technically sharp and plays a huge part in the build-up of the game through his precise passing. His physical play and his ruthlessness, that're often more detrimental to his own body than to others', rounds off Bender's role as an absolute team player. It's as though Bender feels no pain, the way he never shies away from anything. The newspaper "Süddeutsche Zeitung" appropriately labelled him a "Ball-seizing Monster."

Age: 27

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £14.5M

Wage: £49K p/w until 30/6/2021

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M (C) / M (R), AM (RC) - Gonzalo Castro - "The 28-year-old is what some experts would call polyvalent. Castro can both attack and defend. At the back he defends cleverly, but also has the ability to cause sudden counter attacks with his intelligent passing.

Age: 29

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £15.5M

Wage: £58K p/w until 30/6/2019

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D (R), DM, M (C) / WB (R) - Pascal Stenzel - Able to slot in at right-back as well as his preferred holding role in the middle of the park, Stenzel is very similar to Weigl, boasting high intelligence, stamina and an excellent range of passing.

Age: 20

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £1.8M

Wage: £3.9K p/w until 30/6/2019

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Central Attacking Midfielders

First Team Options

AM (C) / M (C) - Shinji Kagawa - Suddenly the opportunity was there and Michael Zorc moved quickly when Shinji Kagawa made an appearance on the transfer market a day before the end of the transfer window in summer 2014. With this the wonder team of 2011 and 2012 returned to BVB.

Kagawa knows what he has in Dortmund and he has proven what he can do. Between 2010 and 2012 he played 49 Bundesliga matches in which he scored 21 goals, even though he temporarily had to withdraw from the team due to a broken metatarsal. The agile midfielder was one of the key players on the way to the 2011 and 2012 Bundesliga championships and he played a huge part in the DFB Cup win in 2012. Shinji Kagawa scored the opening goal in the 5-2 victory in the final against Bayern Munich.

“He can determine the rhythm of a match” said Hans-Joachim Watzke, “and he absolutely wanted to return to Borussia Dortmund. Here he will find the rest, time and appreciation that he needs in order to reach his highest level once more after two years of irregular starts.”

Age: 27

Nationality: Japanese

Transfer Value: £18.25M

Wage: £66K p/w until 30/6/2018

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AM (C), ST (C) / M/AM (RL) - Mario Gotze - He played for Borussia Dortmund between 2009 and 2013, winning the Bundesliga title in 2010–11 and the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 2011–12, and was a member of the team which reached the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final.

On 21 July 2016, Götze confirmed his return to Dortmund, on a four-year contract.

Age: 24

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £28.5M

Wage: £135K p/w until 30/6/2020

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Decent Backup Alternatives/Youth Prospects

M/AM (C) - Orel Mangala - Orel Mangala joins the black and yellows from RSC Anderlecht, where he played as a central midfielder for their U19 team. With that team he was able to reach the semi-finals of this year's UEFA Youth League. During the tournament that is comparable to a youth version of the Champions League, he appeared in 8 games and had 2 assists.

The young prospect will play for the U19-team and hopefully develop there until he is ready for first team action.

Age: 18

Nationality: Belgian

Transfer Value: £700K

Wage: £1.3K p/w until 30/6/2018 (on loan from Anderlecht)

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Left Wingers (right-footed)

First Team Options

M/AM (L) / M/AM (R), ST (C) - Andre Schurrle -  The 2014 FIFA World Cup winner has signed a five-year contract until 2021 and will join the team upon returning from his vacation following Euro 2016 in early August.

Sporting director Michael Zorc told the club’s official website: “Schürrle is a Germany international with outstanding attacking potential, who’s also secure in his passing and clever in helping out in defence. Despite only being 25 he has a lot of international experience. His quality will be very valuable for is. This completes our attack.”

Schürrle said: “Borussia Dortmund are on of the top clubs in Europe with a strong and extremely exciting squad. I know from experience how much power BVB gain from the interplay with the fans and am already looking forward to experience this as a part of the team and not a stunned opponent. I want to achieve success in the coming years with Dortmund and can hardly wait to start training and convincing people that it was the right decision to sign me.”

Age: 25

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £26M

Wage: £99K p/w until 30/6/2021

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M (L), AM (L,C) - Christian Pulisic - There are few stories as talked about than the rise of Christian Pulisic this season.  The young American, still just 17, has received countless amounts of praise and adoration from fans, players and coaches alike.

Able to slot in behind the striker or on either flank in a front three, his eye for movement into space and willingness to get forward into key areas is an asset coveted at his age.

Pulisic made his first Bundesliga start on February 21, against Bayer Leverkusen before eventually being substituted for Marco Reus. He made his second Bundesliga start on April 10, against FC Schalke 04 in the Revierderby, playing 73 minutes before being replaced by İlkay Gündoğan. In response to Pulisic's performance against Schalke, team manager Thomas Tuchel said, "He's a teenager in his first year of professional football. His first two games in the starting eleven were in Leverkusen and here today in Schalke – not the easiest of tasks. It shows our huge appreciation that we see him as a full time player on our team."

Pulisic scored his first Bundesliga goal for Borussia Dortmund on April 17, opening the scoring in a 3–0 home win against Hamburger SV. It made him the youngest non-German and fourth-youngest player to score a goal in the Bundesliga, at just 17 years and 212 days old. With his goal against VfB Stuttgart on April 23, Pulisic broke another Bundesliga scoring record by becoming the youngest player to score two goals in the top-flight league.

Age: 17

Nationality: American

Transfer Value: £16M

Wage: £3.9K p/w until 30/6/2018

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Decent Backup Alternatives/Youth Prospects

M/AM (L) / M/AM (R) - Jacob Bruun Larsen - Scoring 17 and assisting 21 goals over 39 matches at the under-19 level for Dortmund, his effectiveness cannot be denied.

As with most young players, the Dane will struggle to make the right decision from time to time, but he has the right instincts around the opponent's goal, not only in terms of his solid finishing skills.

Age: 17

Nationality: Danish

Transfer Value: £375K

Wage: £55 p/w until 30/6/2017

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Right Wingers

First Team Options

M/AM (RL) / AM (C) - Marco Reus - They are icons in their clubs, in their hometowns. When you hear their names, you think of a team, an era, a generation: Hamburg’s Uwe Seeler; Eintracht Frankfurt’s Karl-Heinz Körbel, who holds the record for most Bundesliga appearances. Marco Reus could well become one of these names.

Reus was born in Dortmund and grew up there and played for local team Post und Telekom SV Dortmund, as well as for the Borussia Dortmund youth team. Reaching the final of the German football championship in 2006 as an under 17, the slight 16 year old made it to the squad but not the first eleven. After this, he took a different path. The attacker played in the Under-19 Bundesliga with Rot Weiss Ahlen and made the first team in the 2007/08 season – from the regional leagues via League 3 to the second Bundesliga. There, he made it as a regular and essential player. In summer 2009, Reus moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he saw “the best opportunity” to “make long term developments”.

In summer 2012, Dortmund’s Sporting Director Michael Zorc skilfully saw how to use Reus’ deep-rootedness in Dortmund to get the German international back. During the transfer window, he pitted himself against Europe’s top clubs, who were also after the skilful player with a distinct knack for scoring.

When Reus penetrates the penalty area at high speed, the leather football is seemingly glued to his boot. Speed and excellent technique combine with his ability to sniff out a goal. Even his opponents have to begrudgingly recognise that the name Reus stands for having fun with football. According to Watzke: “He is a player who can make a real difference to a match – and a local Dortmund boy as well.” One who can play as brilliantly at the front as in midfield. Zorc said: “Marco is an important part of Borussia Dortmund’s future”.

Age: 27

Nationality: German

Transfer Value: £50M

Wage: £165K p/w until 30/6/2019

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M/AM (RL) / AM (C) - Ousmane Dembele - The 19-year-old joins from French club Rennes for a reported fee of around €15 million.

"Ousmane can play nearly every attacking position," Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc told the club's official website. "He's strong in one-on-one situations, he plays with both feet, is skilful, fast and is dangerous in front of the goal."

"The way he stood his ground for such a long time in the face of the numerous high-quality offers from all over Europe commands my respect," Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said. "It's not a given and shows his character."

"Ousmane has always given us the impression that his sole wish is to play our intense football for this special club in our unique stadium," Watzke said.

Age: 19

Nationality: French

Transfer Value: £21.5M

Wage: £49.5K p/w until 30/6/2021

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Strikers

First Team Options

ST (C) / M/AM (R) - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - The Gabon international, who was born in western France and holds a French passport, has already left his mark on Borussia Dortmund. He was the first player in Dortmund’s history to start a season by scoring a hat trick (scoring 3 goals in Dortmund’s 4-0 win over Augsburg at the start of 2013/14 season). In his first two years at Dortmund, he was a consistent goal threat with 12 and then 16 league goals. In the 2014/15 season, he scored 25 goals in all competitions.

Another of his weapons is his speed. He could be as fast as 100 metre record holder Usain Bolt – at least for the first 30 metres. He says himself: “without a doubt, my speed is my biggest asset. Having room helps me to use this. I need – and want – to improve my speed when space is tight.”

Aubameyang isn’t a classic winger who shines as a playmaker, more as a finisher who feels more at home in the middle of attack. The Gabon international explains: “Up front, I can run in all different directions, left, right and in behind. Up front, I am different to how I am on the wing, where I have to run back and forth on along the line, I’m not fixed.”

The attacker, who is so extroverted on the pitch, is reserved and shy in person who is very family oriented. His brothers – he has two biological brothers – are often in Dortmund, at least for the most important games. And then there is a brother in spirit: Marco Reus. “We get on well off the pitch, which naturally contributes to how we play together,” says Aubameyang, adding: “yes, we’re like brothers.”

Age: 27

Nationality: Gabonese

Transfer Value: £47.5M

Wage: £83K p/w until 30/6/2020

FM17 Screenshot:

ST (C) - Adrian Ramos - Speed is an attribute that Adrian Ramos has in his genes. He embodies a fusion of pace, power and an eye for the goal. He jumps well, so is great in the air and he has good control will the ball at his feet. The hardworking Ramos doesn’t shy away from any tackle and a success rate of 46 percent means that he is one of the best value strikers in the Bundesliga. “Adrian Ramos is an excellent footballer. He fits our requirements perfectly,” said sporting director Michael Zorc when the transfer was announced in summer 2014.

Now he is heading into his second season with BVB. “I feel the manager and senior coaching staff trusted me to perform, even in this difficult season, from the conversations I had with them. I’ll do my best to live up to expectations. I want to give something back to the club,” announced Adrian Ramos, “I have already shown the type of player I can be at Berlin. I’m sure that I can be the player I was there in Dortmund as well.”

Age: 30

Nationality: Colombian

Transfer Value: £7M

Wage: £46.5K p/w until 30/6/2018

FM17 Screenshot:

Potential Tactics and Starting Eleven

Formation

It's a lop-sided formation but I assure you there is method to the madness. The idea is to create a stable rhombus defensively (BPD, CD, DLP and IWB), a more attacking rhombus/diamond down the left (CWB, CM, RMD and F9), a free man in space out wide to take advantage of gaps once we've tilted the defence in the other direction and linking/goalscoring second striker that can move into channels and open spaces as he occasionally interchanges with his winger on the right. The idea is to provide enough variety and complexity to surprise and confuse the opposition, while still maintaining stable structures that enable effective recycling of the ball, and counter-pressing when necessary.

Mentality

With all that attacking talent at your disposal, how you can not attack?! Of course, there are many ways to achieve attacking football without selecting the "attacking" mentality but I like to be aggressive, have a really high defensive line, attempt more penetrative passes and really up the tempo when the situation warrants it. The "attacking" setting suits this philosophy and, as a result, becomes my default option. It also fits into one of the preferred club philosophies of the Board, which is to play attacking football.

Team Instructions and Team Shape

I want a "gegenpressing" type setup, with a remarkably high defensive line, intense closing down, tight marking and an offside trap that ensures the natural inclination is to be positive and push up, rather than concede space and drop back. I also selected very narrow as I want the players to be close enough to combine with each other and to offset the very wide setting that comes with using an attacking mentality. The left complete wing back (attack) and right winger (attack) both have stay wider as default instructions so I'm not worried about losing width or the ability to stretch the opposition - this move towards "very narrow" is largely to ensure effective connections between central players and to help those with "sit narrow" player instructions to be spaced appropriately, and not unnecessarily dragged too wide.

Having central players closer together also assists the team in counter-pressing and recovering the ball quickly as we don't leave too many open gaps where more offensive opponents would have the time required on the ball to develop and progress their attacks.

Given that my formation is tilted towards the left half-spaces, I've also chose "exploit the left flank" to provide a more aggressive mentality for those players as they seek to cause havoc in those areas. I want to ensure my complete wing back (attack) is as high as possible and help the raumdeuter (attack) to really penetrate into the opponent's area and overlap the deeper-lying false nine (support).

Shorter passing is another instruction selected to assist connections between players in central areas but also has a purpose in giving players time to get into their attacking positions while the ball is circulated, thus creating a more effective attacking transition and stable structure to prevent counter-attacks, before the more risky (low probability) and penetrative passes are attempted in the final third.

Finally, very fluid is my desired team shape as I want my team as a whole to be compact and together as they move up and down the pitch.

Players

Sweeper Keeper (Attack): Roman Burki - I want him to play outside his penalty area, sweeping up loose balls, reading and intercepting danger, and providing passing options to the centre backs. Ideally, I'd like him to distribute the ball to the nearest defender and build out from the back.

Instructions:

Central Defender (Stopper): Sokratis Papastathopoulos - Both my central defenders play aggressively in terms of their positioning, with a stopper duty complimenting the very high defensive line we play (a combination of an attacking mentality and additional team instructions). I want them stationed inside the opponent's half when we are attacking, ready and able to recycle possession or immediately press to prevent counter-attacks.

Instructions:

Ball Playing Defender (Stopper): Matthias Ginter - My defensive duo, along with my deep lying playmaker and inverted wingback, form the basis of a defensive rhombus to provide stability and passing angles at the back. As the widest point at the bottom of that rhombus, and with the central midfielder (attack) pushing forward, the ball playing defender (stopper) has the opportunity to step forward into the vacant space ahead to use his playmaking abilities to initiate attacks and attempt penetrative long range passes when appropriate. The structure of the rhombus and players in front of him make this the ideal role for Ginter, and adds another dimension to our build up play.

Instructions:

Inverted Wing Back (Support): Lukasz Piszczek - A stable influence who can play somewhat as a second pivot, albeit a bit wider, helping to keep that rhombus structure solid in the initial build-up phase. He can, however, roam forward and wider in certain situations, interchanging lanes with the winger when appropriate - ideally, one occupies the wider area and the other occupies the half space to ensure good spacing and passing angles between the two. The roam from position instruction for both the inverted wing back and winger can help to create this sort of situational movement at times, while "sit narrower" for the former and "stay wider" for the latter ensures that both have a default position to fall back into, and one which naturally compliments the other.

Instructions:

Complete Wing Back (Attack): Marcel Schmelzer - Is the outside-left tip of the left attacking diamond/rhombus and is expected to pro-actively attack and overlap down the flank. Having roam from position as a player instruction also allows him the opportunity to situationally cut into the centre when appropriate, often switching inside as the false nine-support or raumdeuter (attack) move into channels. Like I mentioned with the right winger/inverted wing back combination, one player staying wide and one sitting narrow as default, with both being able to roam and interchange is the ideal scenario - providing both adequate spacing and the ability to surprise the opponents with varied and complex attacks.

Instructions:

Deep Lying Playmaker (Defend): Julian Weigl - The infield tip of the defensive rhombus - his role is all about creating angles and passing options with the centre backs and ensuring a clean progression of the ball through to his central midfield partner at the base of the left attacking diamond/rhombus, or over towards his outside top-of-the-defensive-rhombus tip, the inverted wing back (support). This guy really makes the team run like clockwork, which is why his playmaking abilities are essential to this role.

Instructions:

Central Midfielder (Attack): Mikel Merino - The stable point of the left-sided attacking diamond or the stable bottom right of the left-sided attacking rhombus, depending on how you look at it and depending on the movement of those around him and how far the phase of play has developed. Always provided a passing option from behind to the complete wing back (attacking, raumdeuter (attack) and false nine (support) ahead of him, he is a key part of our combination play down the left. He also drives forward and links with the hybrid attacking midfielder/shadow striker and has the ability to switch the ball to the right winger in acres of space after we've successfully tilted the opposition's defence away from that part of the pitch. This role often receives the ball from the defensive rhombus, usually the deep lying playmaker, and as such he has "more direct passes" selected to ensure that he looks forward, not backwards, when it comes to passing options. Once we've over the half way line and past the initial build up, I'm looking for penetration as opposed to sideways possession.

Instructions:

Winger (Attack): Marco Reus - The whole purpose of our attacking strategy is to tilt the opponent's defence to one side of the field using the attacking rhombus/diamond and then quickly switch the ball to the other side where the roaming winger will be in acres of space in an area where he can cause real havoc for the opposition defenders. He is essentially designed to be the free man, which is ideal given that Reus is one of the best finishers in the squad.

Instructions:

Attacking Midfielder (Support): Shinji Kagawa - Intended to be a hybrid between an attacking midfielder (support) and shadow striker (attack) so that he can both track back defensively and become a second goalscoring striker in attack. He needs to fill the gaps as the third midfielder when we lose the ball, after the initial counter-press, so he is someone I need to see contributing in all phases of play. He also has a key role in linking with the right winger, occasionally moving into channels and swapping positions with the roaming winger in certain situations.

Instructions:

Raumdeuter (Attack): Andre Schurrle - Cuts inside from the left and provides a goalscoring threat. Is part of the left-sided attacking rhombus/diamond and can interchange with the false nine (support) who sometimes moves into channels. His positioning allows the complete wing back (attack) enough space to overlap and be effective.

Instructions:

False Nine (Support): Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Can drop deep, move into channels and look left to link with inward-moving raumdeuter and on-rushing complete wing back (attack), with the central midfielder (attack) providing a stable passing option from behind. Given that I want this role to focus it's attention on the left half-spaces and the combination play created by the attacking left-sided rhombus/diamond shape, I'd ideally like to see a left-footed player in this position - but Aubameyang can certainly do the job for now.

Instructions:

The Staff

Coaching Team

Assistant Manager - Arno Michels

Age: 48

Nationality: German

Wage: £6K p/w until 30/6/2018

Staff Attributes:

Head of Youth Development - Lars Ricken

Age: 39

Nationality: German

Wage: £6.75K p/w until 30/6/2021

Staff Attributes:

Goalkeeping Coach - Wolfgang de Beer

Age: 52

Nationality: German

Wage: £5.75K p/w until 30/6/2018

Staff Attributes:

Fitness Coach - Rainer Schrey

Age: 57

Nationality: German

Wage: £4K p/w until 30/6/2018

Staff Attributes:

Fitness Coach - Andreas Beck

Age: 40

Nationality: German

Wage: £4.1K p/w until 30/6/2018

Staff Attributes:

Fitness Coach - Florian Wangler

Age: 36

Nationality: German

Wage: £4.1K p/w until 30/6/2018

Staff Attributes:

Medical Team

Head Physio - Peter Kuhnt

Age: 54

Nationality: German

Wage: £1.7K p/w until 30/6/2018

Staff Attributes:

Head of Sports Science - Daniel Fritsch

Age: 28

Nationality: German

Wage: £4.5K p/w until 30/6/2020

Staff Attributes:

Physio - Thomas Zetzmann

Age: 45

Nationality: German

Wage: £1.7K p/w until 30/6/2018

Staff Attributes:

Physio - Swantje Thomssen

Age: 31

Nationality: German

Wage: £1.5K p/w until 30/6/2018

Staff Attributes:

Scouting and Transfers Team

Director of Football - Michael Zorc

Age: 53

Nationality: German

Wage: £25K p/w until 30/6/2019

Staff Attributes:

Chief Scout - Sven Mislintat

Age: 43

Nationality: German

Wage: £5.75K p/w until 30/6/2019

Staff Attributes:

Chief Data Analyst - Benjamin Weber

Age: 33

Nationality: German

Wage: £1.5K p/w until 30/6/2018

Staff Attributes:

Scout - Artur Platek

Age: 46

Nationality: Polish

Wage: £1.7K p/w until 30/6/2017

Staff Attributes:

Scout - Edwin Boekamp

Age: 57

Nationality: German

Wage: £1.5K p/w until 30/6/2017

Staff Attributes:

Scout - Ingo Preuss

Age: 57

Nationality: German

Wage: £1.5K p/w until 30/6/2018

Staff Attributes:

Scout - Markus Pilawa

Age: 38

Nationality: German

Wage: £1.7K p/w until 30/6/2017

Staff Attributes:

Scout - Waldemar Wrobel

Age: 46

Nationality: German

Wage: £1.5K p/w until 30/6/2017

Staff Attributes:

Scout - Heiner Schuhmann

Age: 67

Nationality: German

Wage: £1.7K p/w until 30/6/2017

Staff Attributes:

Scout - Volker Propper

Age: 52

Nationality: German

Wage: £1.7K p/w until 30/6/2017

Staff Attributes:

Scout - Massimo Mariotti

Age: 54

Nationality: Swiss / German

Wage: £3.8K p/w until 30/6/2017

Staff Attributes:

Club Finances

Overall Balance

A really good total, ensuring that the club has a stable and promising future where it can invest in the very best facilities, coaches and rising stars to compliment the plethora of talent that already contributes so much to Dortmund.

Transfer and Wage Budgets

Under budget and with room to move on wages - that's always a good thing, especially when the team is already so good. There's an opportunity to bring in 2-3 quality players and still be able to fit them into the overall salary structure, but you may have to agree to pay the transfer fees in monthly installments, so as not to breach the £16 million limit imposed for the season ahead. Having 90% of transfer revenue made available to plough back into the team is also handy for those that are happy to make some changes to the initial squad from the very beginning.

Should you really wish to do so, the transfer budget can be increased to a maximum of £24.9 million, although you'd then likely need to reduce the wage bill in order to bring someone in who is worthy of that amount (otherwise you'd probably go over the reduced wage budget). Still, this could be a useful strategy if you're looking to sign many young, promising players on small contracts - something which may be a good idea considering the first team squad is already quite strong at Dortmund.

Debt and Loans

Completely debt-free. You really couldn't ask for more. Dortmund is a very well-managed club these days.

Sponsors and Others

There's some hefty deals in there, currently representing revenue worth a gigantic £71.01M in aggregate per season. The first deal doesn't expire until 2020 so you can guarantee it will be there for at least the next few years, something that bodes well for upcoming transfer budgets!

Potential Transfers and Areas to Strengthen

An Overview of the Current Squad, Areas to Strengthen and Possible Departures:

Borussia Dortmund is a team filled with a diverse mix of youthful exuberance (under 19), emerging stars (20-23), players approaching their peak (24-27) and experienced pros (28-31) who are veterans from the title-winning squads of years gone by. There is also no doubt that squad depth is at it's strongest in the midfield areas, where an array of varied talent and individual positional flexibility has the ability to leave any new manager scratching his head for possible combinations.

There is no doubt that finding a suitable left-footed centre back should be a priority to add balance to an already strong squad, with perhaps one senior pro capable of immediately slotting into the starting eleven, and another younger alternative to compliment him as a backup, being an appropriate transfer strategy. This is one glaring area of the team where there really are no options at present and, as such, represents one of your more important scouting objectives. The ball playing defender (stopper) I'm using means that I'm targeting a centre back with reasonable passing, dribbling, technique, composure, decisions, vision, pace, agility and acceleration, in addition to the normally desirable defensive attributes. With Ginter, Sokratis and Bartra all decent options in the right-footed centre back slot, there is no rush to sign a big name on that side of the pairing. However, with none of the three being truly world class, it isn't a bad idea to begin scouting for the next wonderkid in this specific position, focusing on the future rather than causing upheaval and spending too much in the very beginning.

I would caution you that Sokratis seems to have a tendency to get sent off more than the others, even in warmup friendlies, and his PPM of "dives into tackles" certainly doesn't help this. Such reckless defending, although occasional in nature, can also leave him out of position when you can least afford it and that makes Sokratis a less reliable option. He is probably best utilised against less aggressive and slower striking opponents with low bravery, where his intimidation tactics are more likely to result in a dominant performance as opposed to an even tussle with flared tempers and costly positional mistakes.

With regards to Subotic, although a once-promising player and still competent defender, his aggression, concentration, determination, work rate, acceleration and agility leave much to be desired and render him a difficult option to use in important games. Additionally, for someone that was previously known as somewhat of a cultured defender, his technique (9), passing (10) and first touch (10) just aren't up to standard anymore. I would mark him for potential sale and look to cash in while you still can. Given that Sven Bender can also fill in as a natural centre back these days, I doubt that the presence of Subotic would be missed very much.

In the goalkeeping department, Burki is a decent option and Weidenfeller can indeed operate as an effective backup for season one, however, in the long-term, a world class 'keeper would really enhance the squad and allow Burki to revert to the role of a quality No. 2, as his current experienced understudy moves towards retirement. Dortmund's centre backs are not particularly tall so aerial reach, command of area and jumping reach can be really important when looking for a new 'keeper, while the team may also benefit from a player with low tendency to punch so as not to place unnecessary aerial pressure on the centre backs from loose balls. These are places where Burki is not as proficient, unfortunately, although his rushing out (18), kicking (17), anticipation (16) and composure (17) make him a reasonable option for the sweeper keeper (attack) role in the first season. Third choice goalkeeper Hendrik Bonmann, however, does have ideal ratings in some of these specific aerial attributes but his average stats in other areas seem to restrict his potential to play at the highest level going forward.

Moving on to the wingback/fullback areas, Schmelzer is very, very solid, albeit not quite in the world class category, though he is entirely capable of being an important member of a championship winning team. He is one of my favourite Dortmund players, and club captain, so I have a sentimental desire to win something with him before moving on to a new alternative. With the emerging Raphael Guerreiro showing real promise in the same position, albeit lacking a little in his defensive attributes, and Park Joo-Ho acting as a reliable reserve, there really isn't a huge need to strengthen on the left side. I'd focus on individually training Guerreiro's tackling and marking attributes and building him up as Schmelzer's long-term replacement in the starting 11, while preserving funds to spend on more pressing needs throughout the rest of the team. Guerreiro is certainly good enough to play against opponents posing less of a threat down the wings, and in games you expect to dominate possession, but when facing the likes of Robben, Costa and Ribery in the Bundesliga, along with players such as Bale, Ronaldo and Neymar in the CL, I'd go for the more conservative option in Schmelzer. BVB's captain will provide that extra defensively stability, without compromising too much on pace and attacking movement. There is no substitute for his speed (17), stamina (19), anticipation (17) and concentration (17) in the really big games! His final delivery (12), composure (10), finishing (6) and all round technique (10) can let him down but his teamwork (18) and off the ball (14) running helps him to link with teammates effectively when he keeps things simple.

In the right wingback area, Lukasz Piszczek is a good professional possessing reasonable pace and all round decent attributes for the attacking phase of the game, without exuding any exceptional ability in one specific area. His positioning (10) can be a little suspect, which is why I'm more comfortable using him on a support duty where he is less likely to be caught out by an opposition counter-attack. Although not a disaster, his tackling (13) and marking (11) are probably not suitable for a team aspiring to win the Champions League and with his age catching up on what has been a successful career, some of the stronger physical attributes that mask a few of the defensive deficiencies may not be enough to sustain him at this level for much longer.

There is decent backup behind Piszczek, though, namely Erik Durm and Felix Passlack, so it's not like you're going to be left short in this part of the pitch. Furthermore, Piszczek's professional personality can actually be an asset in tutoring youngsters so his continued role in the squad need not be called into immediate question. Looking at Durm, however, we can see that he's not really the top class long-term replacement we are looking for, albeit a fair emergency backup option when really needed. Durm's bad luck with long-term injuries has somewhat hampered his promising career and maybe this is reflected in a bravery attribute of just 8. Defensively, tackling of 10, marking of 11, anticipation of 11, decisions of 11 and positioning of 9 make his selection hard to justify on a regular basis, especially at a club like Dortmund. Valued at £9.25M, and although I personally like Durm and hope to have success in developing him further in training, I would view that as a very interesting fee for someone who currently appears to have no long-term future at the club.

One player who does seem to be a better alternative as Piszczek's backup and long-term replacement is Felix Passlack, a teenager with bags of potential and one of the brightest young talents at the club. The caveat here, though, is that young Passlack doesn't quite have everything he needs to be the definitive first choice in this position yet, as evidenced by underdeveloped, and rather important, mental attributes such as anticipation (10), composure (10), concentration (10), decisions (8) and positioning (8). His tacking (10) and marking (9) will also need improving before he has truly made the grade as the Dortmund superstar we expect him to become. In terms of transfer policy, while we wait to fully develop Passlack, it might be an idea to look to sign a right wing back at their peak, if you can get one cheap enough, so as to replace the ageing Piszczek and improve the defensive quality of the team on the right, especially in the event that Durm is unable to progress much further from his current ability. Like many of the Dortmund position-specific areas, however, the current crop of players is not so bad that this need becomes an urgent priority in season one. And, by then, Passlack might have developed enough to warrant that starting spot after all.

The central deep lying playmaker position, where I favour a right-footed player, is one where Dortmund has numerous options and perhaps represents one of the strongest areas of the team. Julian Weigl, Sven Bender, Sebastian Rode, Gonzalo Castro and even a young Pascal Stenzel to return from a loan spell in a year. For the specific role I use, a player with greater playmaking abilities is my preference, hence Weigl being first choice for me. Quite simply, his technique (16), first touch (16), anticipation (17), composure (18), concentration (16), decisions (18) and teamwork (19) are just perfect for one so young, for his position and for the style I am looking to implement - not to mention plenty of room to improve at his age! My main focus would simply be to use the likes of Sven Bender to tutor the promising Weigl to raise his determination and strengthen his personality as I think it's clear the club's future can be built around his outstanding talents.

Having Weigl first team ready from the beginning, and with a more than able deputy in Sebastian Rode, who is a bit less decisive and composed but stronger physically and defensively, I wouldn't worry too much about wasting transfer funds on this position. Even Sven Bender, who lacks the same technical proficiency, provides very good backup and versatility (able to fill in at centre back too), due to his many outstanding mental attributes and quality in the defensive third of the pitch (tackling and marking, coupled with the stamina to track back). Bender's only real major drawback is that he is not fully suited to a playmaking role but as a third choice in the position, I would never complain about having him available for selection as part of a deep and flexible squad. He is one of my favourite Dortmund players and an excellent professional. As a centre back my only huge worry would be his lack of jumping reach at the top level but he can certainly fill in effectively against smaller opponents. I am a big fan of "good attitude" and "hard working" players who set an example for all others so given his ability to tutor the youngsters and have an overall positive influence in the dressing room, I would never be in a hurry to get rid of this guy. Nor would Bender ever complain about his role at the club. Just a really good guy to have around.

Seeing Stenzel with reasonable ratings in potential, according to the club's staff, and a resolute personality, I am also keen to get him back to Dortmund in season two to see how far he can develop under better quality coaching and facilities, after a season of first-team football at Freiburg. Perhaps he is one to watch carefully.

The one guy I may utilise less or ultimately freeze out is Gonzalo Castro. With determination of just 9 and at 29 years of age, I don't see a big role on or off the pitch for Castro and I think that his wages (at £58K p/w) could perhaps be better spent on younger alternatives, and in other positions. The BVB midfielder is not particular good defensively (tackling 10 and marking 9), not great in the air or especially strong (heading 8, jumping reach 6 and strength 9), is not a fantastic leader (leadership of 10), has low concentration and positioning (a rating of 10 for each) and even in attack where he exhibits more strength, his technical ability is fairly average for the top level (just 12 for crossing, 13 for dribbling, 12 for finishing and 14 for passing). He does have some handy positional flexibility, with accomplished ability in the right wing and attacking midfield roles, so while you are getting your scouting system up and running in year one, Castro might be a worthwhile guy to hang onto until your transfer strategy fully develops, and rises to it's eventual potential.

In the central midfield (attack) role, I look for a left-footed player, which leads us to both Mikel Merino and Nuri Sahin. Also, make sure you tutor and keep a close watch on Dzenis Burnic, an 18 year-old with much potential and good all-round attributes in this position. Merino is a new addition to the Dortmund squad this year and a very welcome one at that. Looking at his aggression (17), bravery (16), composure (16), determination (16), teamwork (16), work rate (17), jumping reach (15) and natural fitness (16), it is clear that he is an industrious midfielder with a good engine and a guy who is unlikely to be intimidated in the centre of the park - a perfect compliment for his partner Weigl. Interestingly, Merino also combines this with very respectable ratings in first touch (14), passing (15), technique (14) and vision (14), ensuring a smooth transition from midfield through to the final third. And, at 20 years of age, there's no doubting he can still improve from here.

Moving on to Nuri Sahin, this veteran of Klopp's gegenpressing German champions of yesteryear is still capable of performing at the highest level, even though he's not quite the force that BVB fans or Football Manager enthusiasts remember from his teenage days. Technically strong (15 first touch, 18 passing and 16 technique), with decent mental attributes (16 anticipation, 17 composure, 15 concentration, 17 decisions, 15 teamwork and 16 vision), and capable of filling in for the first team on a footballing level, it's really his physical attributes (9 acceleration, 11 balance, 9 jumping reach, 12 natural fitness, 11 pace and 9 strength) that prevent him from being a regular starter for an elite club harbouring Champions League ambitions. Sahin is certainly someone that can come off the bench and make an impact, though, particularly as tiring defences become more susceptible to his creative and penetrative passing in the latter stages of games. A worthy place among the BVB substitutes is probably the best Sahin can hope for, however. A good example of "the grass is not always greener on the other side" when it comes to young Dortmund talents who have chased the glory and larger wage packets at Europe's bigger clubs - before ultimately returning home to fulfil lesser roles than they were originally used to.

In an emergency, the accomplished (in these positions) Park Joo-Ho (15 technique, 15 first touch, 16 anticipation, 15 composure, 15 decisions, 17 teamwork, 16 agility and 15 stamina) and Raphael Guerreiro (14 first touch, 14 technique, 16 anticipation, 17 composure, 16 decisions, 17 teamwork, 16 acceleration and 15 stamina) can also fill the central midfield (attack) role in an adequate manner, particularly against smaller sides and in less important matches.

In the central attacking midfielder (support) role, we have Kagawa and Gotze as the main candidates for a starting spot. Given his past actions and relatively low determination (10), it's difficult to speak about Gotze. Shinji Kagawa is a capable starter, though, and can do the job rather well in the attacking third of the pitch. I just worry somewhat about his low physical attributes, given that I expect this player to track back on a support duty and fill the gaps as the third midfielder in defensive situations once we have transitioned from the initial counter-press and back into our defending shape. Pace of 11, stamina of 12 and strength of 6 are reasons for concern here. Furthermore, a rating of just 8 in balance could see him knocked off the ball against able opponents who are strong and stable in the tackle and natural fitness of 12 slightly calls into question his overall durability throughout a full league season. These are things to be aware of, but Kagawa can certainly fill the role to begin with.

There are a couple of options to solve this understrength attacking midfield area, which I view as one of the weaker positions for Dortmund. The first would be to sign a top class replacement (I favour a right-footed central attacking midfielder to look right to combine with the winger on that side and move into channels as the winger roams from position) but the alternative would be to train up and utilise Pulisic here, have Dembele act as backup Raumdeuter to Schurrle on the left and promote Bruun Larsen as a reserve for Reus on the right wing. Passlack could also temporarily fill the right wing spot when Reus needs resting, although he is accomplished, not natural, there, without compromising depth at right wing back, as Durm can still deputise for Piszczek. The same could be said for Castro, who could fill in at either AM (C) or AM (R), and, additionally, is not a top 2 choice in any other position so wouldn't be missed in another area if he was needed to show his versatility elsewhere. Finally, Orel Mangala is a promising player on loan at Dortmund who could have a good future, and is able to play the attacking midfield role, too.

On the left, where I like to see my Raumdeuter operate, Dortmund has many options and an almost perfect mix of youth and experience. In general, Dortmund has Schurrle, Pulisic, Dembele and Reus who can operate naturally in either of the wide positions. Given that Schurrle and Pulisic can't play naturally on the right, we can have a 50-50 split with Schurrle and Pulisic focusing on the left and Reus and Dembele dedicating themselves to the right. Clearly, the experience and first team readiness of Schurrle makes him the obvious choice to start here and his right-footed preference means that he is well-suited to the Raumdeuter role. Similarly, Pulisic is also right-footed and can fit in when necessary as he continues his development at first team level. Giving Pulisic games in the attacking midfield role is another good way to add to his overall minutes on the pitch, with his versatility allowing him to access additional game time as a deputy to more than one player. This is a huge help to any young player looking to mature as a footballer.

Although ready to play at a high level, Schurrle is not without his weaknesses. Anticipation (12), composure (10), decisions (11) and vision (11) are not exactly his strongest points, nor is his passing (12) or first touch (12). Still, he has enough ability in dribbling (15), pace (17) and acceleration (17) to cause problems for opposition defenders as he cuts inside on his right foot. I am excited to see Pulisic develop, though, as I think he can replace Schurrle in that role and prove more effective over the long-term. To already possess 15 for dribbling, 16 for first touch, 15 for technique, 17 for flair, 15 for off the ball, 15 for vision, 16 for acceleration and 16 for agility at the age of just 17 is just incredible. There are high hopes for this youngster at BVB and, in my view, they are entirely justified.

On the right wing, Marco Reus is without doubt the club's best wide player. With the responsibility of vice-captain as well as a resilient personality that could be useful for tutoring, he is sure to be a big influence throughout the season both on and off the pitch. His finishing of 16 is among the better ratings at the club and his goalscoring will certainly be needed as the likes of Aubameyang and Schurrle do not necessarily have the same cutting edge in front of goal. This is one of the reason's I tilted my tactic to overload the left half-spaces, so that Reus could float inside with a roam from position instruction to take advantage of the space that is left by opponents who focus too heavily on the greater numbers we have occuping the right hand side of their defence. A quick switch of play can see Reus with plenty of room to cooly finish as he utilises his scoring ability to perfection. And with the anticipation (16), decisions (16), off the ball (18), acceleration (18) and pace (16) required to get into those positions, Reus will have no shortage of opportunities to amass an impressive goal tally throughout the course of a full season.

New addition for the 2016/2017 season, Dembele, is an able backup to Reus in season one and possesses the added bonus of being two-footed. This can be a real strength with a roam from position instruction as he has the ability to play as both a winger when appropriate and as a situational inside forward when the opportunity arises for him to move towards the centre. This can really confuse opposition fullbacks as it can sometimes appear that he is playing two-positions-in-one. When you can engineer uncertainty amongst your opponents, it opens up many different options and the slight hesitation of those dazzled defenders can give a talented player like Dembele the extra time he needs to really punish them. His real strengths are dribbling (17), first touch (15), technique (16), flair (17), acceleration (16), agility (15) and pace (18). Being a young player, however, I would like to see him work on his mental attributes through a combination of training, tutoring and game experience, with anticipation (11), composure (10), concentration (9), decisions (8), determination (11), teamwork (8) and work rate (10) all needing serious work before he can be considered a truly top class player. Marco Reus could potentially be a good tutor for Dembele.

In terms of transfers, given the strength, depth, versatility and youth team talent in the wider attacking areas of the pitch, I wouldn't necessarily be looking to make big money signings here. Pulisic and Dembele have the ability to turn into world class footballers with the right guidance and training and Schurrle and Reus are good solid options to start a season with. Bruun Larsen is the most promising of the available youth and, given appropriate tutoring, has a real chance of realising the potential that so many of the coaching staff believe he possesses. If anything, funds permitting once other more pressing needs are met, I may look into getting someone better than Schurrle as looking at his wage of £99K p/w, I'm not sure if that is value for money for someone that is good but not world class. Again, as with much of the rest of the team, this is not an immediate necessity, though, especially since selling Schurrle and recouping a respectable fee for him would be rather difficult in his first season at the club. Something to only really consider from season two onwards, I think (and depending on what gains, if any, can be made in training).

Before moving on, I just wanted to give a quick mention to young Emre Mor. He is a new signing at Dortmund who unfortunately does not fit into my tactical system, the only first team player to really be in that position. The issue is that he is left-footed and plays naturally in the right midfield, right wing or central attacking midfield roles, something I'm not looking for in my tactical system. Still, other managers may find his high potential and impressive dribbling (18), technique (17), flair (18), acceleration (18) and agility (18) to be particularly useful.

A screenshot of Mor can be seen below:

Finally, we come to the forwards. Dortmund only really has two first team quality strikers - Aubameyang and Ramos. With the former at 27 years of age and the latter at 30, it's clear that a quality, and potentially large, investment will be needed for this part of the pitch in the not-to-distant future. Janni Serra shows some promise but with a cruciate knee ligament injury keeping him out of action for 11-12 months at the age of 18 at the start of the game, it's unclear whether he can recover to become the world class attacking talent that Dortmund will need in coming years.

As for current options, the real-life goalscoring feats of Aubameyang could perhaps give one a clouded judgement of what his attributes should be and one may be slightly disappointed when they see him in Football Manager for the first time. I think Dortmund's very attacking philosophy is one that leads to so many chances being created - and goals being scored - that it can sometimes mask the chances that Aubameyang actually misses; chances that he really should have scored. It's true that he is still a top class forward by any measure but finishing of 14 and decisions of 10 is probably about right for him. He does get a number of one-on-ones with the 'keeper where he doesn't always choose the best option that a more cultured striker would and that's what separates him from being pretty awesome to being one of the real greats of the game. His acceleration (20), pace (19) and off the ball (18) are still attributes to be feared by any defender, though!

Looking at Ramos, were it not for his age, I'd be fairly satisfied with his quality as a backup. At 30 years old, however, it's probably time to move on to someone younger and better, particularly since he doesn't have the flexibility to fill any other positions - and the likelihood of him being able to displace Aubameyang as first choice is rather low. Still, until that new replacement arrives, he is a player that can absolutely prove to be an adequate backup, providing a manager with opportunities to rest Pierre-Emerick as first choice striker or cover any injuries he may sustain.

Potential Targets:

Will be updated as I progress my save a bit further.

Players on Loan/Players Out on Loan

Of the current players on loan, only Mangala is worth considering as a permanent signing - but it depends how he develops over the next year. His potential is reasonably high but I wouldn't class him as an obvious wonderkid with world class potential so I think it's worth waiting the full season to see whether or not Mangala can make the step up, rather than rushing into a decision straight away.

Of the current players away on loan, Pascal Stenzel is an interesting player who may be worth evaluating and developing further in coming seasons.

Outstanding Transfer Clauses:

Given the high potential of your Dortmund side reaching the Champions League group stages, it seems like an obvious choice to exercise the buyout clause here, saving approximately £900K.

Season Expectations

Bundesliga:

A top 3 finish is what's required to quality for the Champions League but, realistically, with a squad like Dortmund's, anything less than second place in the league would be a disappointment, in my view. I guess this gives you some comfort knowing that you should be able to surpass what's expected of you as a minimum but as BVB manager, I would not settle for the mediocrity of merely meeting base-level targets. You can do better with the resources and players available and winning the league is definitely something the club is capable of. Bayern will be a formidable opponent, of course, but your team is capable of beating them in one-off games so if you can achieve consistency throughout the season, it wouldn't be a surprise to see your captain hoisting the Meisterschale at season's end.

DFB-Pokal:

Expectations are realistic here. The club has made 3 consecutive finals in the past 3 seasons so reaching the semi-finals should not be an usual feat for this squad of players. The challenge is to go one better and actually lift the trophy to end the suffering of the BVB supporters who have had to endure 3 cup final losses in a row.

DFL-Supercup:

A win here is a bonus, according to the Board, but an opportunity to beat Bayern and to test tactics against them for the more important future league meetings should not be missed. As such, this is a game I would be taking very seriously indeed.

UEFA Champions League:

This is one area where, depending upon the draw, I think there is a real chance of overachieving. The first knockout round ambition stated by the Board is perhaps more reflective of the fact that this is Dortmund's first season back in the Champions League after a year away, and less of a statement about the quality of your squad. A conservative target has therefore been set but with the players at your disposal I would be aiming higher. I think the semi-final stage is achieveable but you also have the comfort of knowing that you won't be criticised too much if you fall short of your own personal, higher ambitions.

Your Long-Term Aim As BVB Manager

- Establish Borussia Dortmund as a regular Champions League participant. Did you know that the club has only qualified for Europe's top competition in 5 of the last 13 seasons? This is remarkably inconsistent for a club of Dortmund's size (marked by financial troubles between around 2003 and 2006), so an improvement in this department is certainly an expectation going forward.

- Keep your best players and avoid losing them to the likes of Bayern and big European clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester United. Sounds simple, however, the club has not managed to do this in recent years and that has hampered consistency, particularly in continental competitions. You generally have the finances to achieve this goal, it's just that the players' heads are regularly turned by the more established giants of the game - an unfortunate reality for Dortmund and one you must contend with.

- Win 3 consecutive Bundesliga titles. Dortmund has never done this, but you could be the first!

- Break Bayern's record of 91 Bundesliga points in a season.

- Becomes the second most successful club in Bundesliga history by winning a 6th title (since the league was first contested in 1963), overtaking Borussia Mönchengladbach who are tied with Dortmund at 5 championships heading into the 2016-2017 season.

- For the extremely ambitious, beat Bayern's record of 25 Bundesliga titles! This will take a monumental effort but perhaps you could be up for such a challenge?!

- Win the German Cup. Dortmund has lost the last 3 finals in a row! It's time to change the club's fortunes and register a victory!

- Beat Schalke 04's record of 5-0 for the biggest victory in a German Cup Final. We can't have our rivals in the record books ahead of ourselves!

- Overtake Bayern's achievement of 18 German Cup wins, to become the most successful team in the competition's history. Dortmund currently has just 3 German Cup wins.

- In Germany, 4 teams have won the league and cup double - Dortmund, Bayern, Werder Bremen and FC Köln. Only Bayern has done it on more than one occasion. Your job is to first become the 2nd team in German history to win multiple domestic doubles and then to eventually beat Bayern's enviable record of 11!

- Win the treble. Only Bayern has ever done this is Germany. If you can do it twice, you would break the German record. If you can do it three times, you would take the European crown, beating Barcelona's tally of 2.

- Always beat Schalke 04, no matter what the competition and no matter where you are in the league standings. The game is always important and you must always win. Dortmund supporters expect no less from you!

Preferred Club Philosophies

* Play attacking football - With talent like Aubameyang, Reus, Kagawa, Ramos, Schurrle, Dembele, Pulisic, Bruun Larsen, Mangala and Gotze operating in the attacking third of the pitch and players like Merino, Sahin, Weigl, Rode, Bender, Castro, Passlack, Guerreiro, Schmelzer, Burnic, Durm, Joo-Ho and Piszczek supporting them from deeper areas, it shouldn't be too difficult to generate goalscoring opportunities if you organise the team in a way that makes the most of their creative and penetrating abilities.

* Develop players using the club's youth system - Bruun Larsen, Burnic, Passlack, Pulisic, Fritsch and Dembele are six of the best BVB youngsters already in the mix for first team/U23 selection and with "superb" training facilities, "superb" youth facilities and "established" youth recruitment, the expectation is two-fold: that the current crop fulfil their potential and that they are joined by many more academy products in the future. Things are certainly looking bright but you may want to ask the Board to invest in improving the club's junior coaching, which is rated as just "average" at the present time. However, with £157 million as a starting balance, resources are not exactly lacking so once you gain the trust of the powers that be, it shouldn't be too difficult to convince them of an upgrade in this department. After all, it fits perfectly into the club's own stated philosophy.

The derby with Schalke 04

At its core, the Ruhr derby is purely emotional, the kind of match in which sheer desire and determination can overcome any barrier. In terms of atmosphere and passion, the Ruhr derby is Germany's biggest rivalry by some distance and ranks among the fiercest in the world.

To understand why the rivalry between Dortmund and Schalke is so intense, it's important to understand the history of the Ruhr. Beginning around 1850, the Ruhr changed from a primarily rural area to a booming industrial wasteland. By 1900, the population had increased some fiftyfold to support coal mines and steel mills.

Life, especially in the mines, was difficult. Workers turned to football as an escape from their otherwise unsavory conditions, and through football a diverse community of ethnic Germans and immigrants (primarily from Poland and Turkey) came together. Dozens upon dozens of football clubs sprung forth from workers' housing complexes. Even the mining companies got involved, sponsoring clubs like Rot-Weiss Essen, MSV Duisburg and, most famously, Schalke.

With so many clubs in such a small (under 4500 square km) and densely populated area, football became almost a religion for the locals. And although the mines are long gone now, the Ruhr remains the heart of German football culture.

The rivalry between Dortmund and Schalke began long before the Bundesliga's formation in 1963. For most of the first half of the 1900s, Schalke were the dominant force in the Ruhr. But their immediate neighbors Dortmund pipped the Knappen to the Westphalia Championship in 1947, kicking off a rivalry that has only grown in the years since. To this day, Schalke fans don't even say "Dortmund," they only refer to the city as a region of an adjacent municipality, for example: "Northern Ludenscheid." Similarly, Dortmund fans will refer to Schalke or Gelsenkirchen as "South Gladbeck."

What the Ruhr derby has more than any other rivalry in Germany is a sense of authenticity between Germany's two most passionate groups of fans.

History and Results...

1925–1936 (The Beginning)

Schalke: 3 victories, 0 draws, 0 losses

History

The rivalry began with a 4–2 Schalke victory on 3 May 1925. Schalke's style of play at the time was described by a newspaper of the era as a "wandering ball from man to man" in a series of short, flat passes.[1]. The Schalker Kreisel (literally: "Schalke spinning top") was born. Schalke won all three matches played in the years 1925–1927. The two teams did not meet again until the creation of the Gauliga in 1936.

Results

- 3 May 1925: Schalke 4:2 Dortmund (in Herne)
- 24 October 1926: Schalke 2:0 Dortmund
- 16 January 1927: Dortmund 2:7 Schalke

1936–1944 (Gauliga Era)

Schalke: 14 victories, 1 draw, 1 loss

History

With the creation of the Gauliga in 1936, Dortmund developed its intense rivalry with Schalke. Schalke was the most successful German club of the era, 6 of the club's to date 7 German Championships and one Cup victory date back to the years of 1933 to 1945. Schalke dominated the early meetings, winning 14 matches, and losing only once, with one match played to a draw. August Lenz's goal on 14 November 1943 secured Dortmund's first ever victory against Schalke.

Results

* Season 1936–37
- 20 December 1936: Schalke 4:1 Dortmund
- 7 March 1937: Dortmund 0:7 Schalke
    
* Season 1937–38
- 30 January 1938: Dortmund 3:3 Schalke
- 6 March 1938: Schalke 4:0 Dortmund
    
* Season 1938–39
- 18 September 1938: Schalke 6:0 Dortmund
- 12 March 1939: Dortmund 3:7 Schalke
    
* Season 1939–40
- 10 December 1939: Schalke 9:0 Dortmund
- 4 February 1940: Dortmund 0:7 Schalke
    
* Season 1940–41
- 20 October 1940: Schalke 10:0 Dortmund
- 2 February 1941: Dortmund 0:2 Schalke
    
* Season 1941–42
- 30 November 1941: Dortmund 1:6 Schalke
- 22 March 1942: Schalke 6:1 Dortmund
    
* Season 1942–43
- 29 November 1942: Schalke 2:0 Dortmund
- 26 December 1942: Dortmund 0:7 Schalke
    
* Season 1943–44
- 14 November 1943: Dortmund 1:0 Schalke
- 27 February 1944: Schalke 4:1 Dortmund

1945–1947 (Post-war Era)

Dortmund: 1 win, 0 draws, 0 losses

History

Dortmund win the Westphalia championship final 3–2 over Schalke, ending Schalke's domination in the region.

Results

- 18 May 1947: Dortmund 3:2 Schalke (in Herne)

1947–1963 (Oberliga Era)

Dortmund: 15 wins, 10 draws, 7 losses

History

The years 1947–63 continued to be a reversal of fortune for Dortmund, winning 9 of the first 13 Revierderbies during this era, and losing only 7 of 32 overall. Dortmund also won three Oberliga championships in these years.

Results

* Season 1947–48
- 21 September 1947: Schalke 1:1 Dortmund
- 18 January 1948: Dortmund 1:0 Schalke
    
* Season 1948–49
- 26 September 1948: Dortmund 5:2 Schalke
- 30 January 1949: Schalke 0:1 Dortmund
    
* Season 1949–50
- 16 October 1949: Dortmund 5:1 Schalke
- 12 March 1950: Schalke 2:1 Dortmund

* Season 1950–51
- 26 November 1950: Dortmund 3:0 Schalke
- 22 April 1951: Schalke 0:0 Dortmund
    
* Season 1951–52
- 9 September 1951: Schalke 3:0 Dortmund
- 20 January 1952: Dortmund 3:0 Schalke
    
* Season 1952–53
- 7 December 1952: Schalke 0:1 Dortmund
- 19 April 1953: Dortmund 1:0 Schalke
    
* Season 1953–54
- 29 November 1953: Schalke 0:3 Dortmund
- 4 April 1954: Dortmund 3:4 Schalke
    
* Season 1954–55
- 5 December 1954: Dortmund 0:0 Schalke
- 17 April 1955: Schalke 0:2 Dortmund
    
* Season 1955–56
- 26 November 1955: Schalke 1:3 Dortmund
- 8 April 1956: Dortmund 0:2 Schalke
    
* Season 1956–57
- 25 August 1956: Dortmund 3:2 Schalke
- 12 January 1957: Schalke 3:3 Dortmund
    
* Season 1957–58
- 1 September 1957: Schalke 2:2 Dortmund
- 5 January 1958: Dortmund 1:1 Schalke
    
* Season 1958–59
- 12 October 1958: Dortmund 1:3 Schalke
- 22 February 1959: Schalke 1:5 Dortmund
    
* Season 1959–60
- 20 September 1959: Schalke 5:0 Dortmund
- 24 January 1960: Dortmund 6:3 Schalke
    
* Season 1960–61
- 2 October 1960: Dortmund 0:0 Schalke
- 5 March 1961: Schalke 2:2 Dortmund
    
* Season 1961–62
- 7 April 1962: Schalke 5:3 Dortmund
- 25 November 1961: Dortmund 2:2 Schalke
    
* Season 1962–63
- 2 December 1962: Schalke 1:1 Dortmund
- 28 April 1963: Dortmund 1:0 Schalke

1963– (Bundesliga and German Cup Era)

History

The creation of the Bundesliga in 1963 began with Dortmund continuing their winning ways, by taking 8 of the first 10 meetings.

Schalke's 1–0 victory on 20 April 1968, saw the return of Schalke's fortune and the fall of Dortmund. After Dortmund's 0–3 defeat on 4 March 1972, and subsequent relegation from the league, the teams did not play each other again until 1975.

After Dortmund's return to the Bundesliga, Lothar Huber's goal in the 87th minute on 5 November 1977 gave Dortmund their first victory over Schalke in nearly ten years. The following years belonged to Dortmund, winning eleven matches to Schalke's six, culminating in a 3–2 victory in a German Cup match on 9 December 1988. Schalke's relegation after the 1987–88 season resulted in these teams not playing again until the 1991–92 campaign.

Schalke's next Revierderby was remarkable. With Schalke managing only three goals in their first four matches after returning to the Bundesliga, Dortmund seemed assured of continuing their success. On 24 August 1991, in front of over 70,000 fans, former Dortmund midfielder Ingo Anderbrügge scored in the 2nd minute to put Schalke ahead 1–0. However, Dortmund equalized in the 36th and the 1st half finished with the scored tied 1–1. In the 2nd half, Schalke exploded, stunning Dortmund 5–2. Dortmund's overall success that season eclipsed the defeat, winning the next Revierderby 2–0, and finishing the league in second place that year, tied in points, but losing out to VfB Stuttgart on goal differential.

The following years saw Schalke holding a slim advantage since 1991, winning 11, drawing 14, and losing 8 of the matches. Despite Schalke's recent Revierderby success, including losing only five derbies since 1999 (until 14. April 2012), Dortmund holds the advantage in overall success during this era, winning five Bundesliga championships (1994–95, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2010–11 and 2011–12), one German Cup (2012), one UEFA Champions League competition (1997), and one Intercontinental Cup (1997) since 1995, while Schalke won the UEFA Cup once (1997) and the German Cup three times (2001, 2002 and 2011).

Recent years have seen the first-ever Bundesliga derby aired live on free TV (January 2004, shown on ARD), as well as two famous Dortmund victories. One of these, in 2005, ended a nearly seven-year undefeated streak for Schalke in the derby, while the other, in May 2007, took on almost traumatic proportions, as Schalke lost the derby and the league lead, which they had held for three months, on the penultimate day of the season in Dortmund. After each of these victories, Borussia Dortmund took the unprecedented step of selling specially-decorated replica shirts to commemorate the occasion. In 2008, Dortmund fan groups celebrated Schalke's fifty years without a league title.

The Recent Re-Emergence of a Fierce Sporting Rivalry Between Ourselves and Bayern

The rivalry between both clubs grew up in the 1990s. Since 1994, only four clubs other than Bayern and Dortmund have won the German championship. During this period Bayern have won 12 Bundesliga titles and Dortmund 5. The first phase of the rivalry was between 1994 and 1998 where Dortmund gained two Bundesliga titles and won the UEFA Champions League at Bayern's home ground. The second phase started in 2010, resulting in five consecutive wins for Dortmund. After two championships for Dortmund, both met in the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final which was won by Bayern. In the 2012–13 Bundesliga, Bayern broke Dortmund's points record which had been set the year before.

In the last few years in particular, though, there has been no love lost between Dortmund and Bayern, battling for the highest honours (both in Europe and at home in Germany) and at the centre of several big-money, and rather controversial, transfers between the two clubs. Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Mats Hummels have all made the move to Bavaria in recent seasons, swapping the passion of Dortmund for the gold coins of Bayern, much to the anger and astonishment of many BVB fans. Needless to say, a victory over Bayern and the treachorous former Dortmund favourites is something that we all look forward to and savour. Unfortunately for BVB, there haven't been too many sweet moments in these games since those three transfers took place.

At various points in the past, particularly in the 1990's, the two clubs have challenged each other directly at the top of German football, but it's no secret that the recent re-emergence of the Dortmund/Bayern sporting rivalry coincided with the Jurgen Klopp era at Westfalenstadion.

Overtaking Bayern and overturning the recent trend of the Bavarians (and other European clubs) being able to poach Dortmund's best talent will be one of your biggest challenges at the helm of Der BVB. Although Mario Gotze has returned to the club after three seasons at Bayern, many supporters will find it hard to forgive this once-adored academy product for his actions while the club was in the midst of fighting for the Champions League at the Semi-Final stage back in 2013 (he agreed his transfer 36 hours before the match against Real Madrid).

Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and the dichotomy of a sporting rivalry...

In German football, whatever the era, one thing has remained constant: Bayern Munich will always represent the fearsome evil which must be battled against whatever the cost. Many a challenger has come and gone, trying to destabilise the Bayern empire, and the latest to try and depose them are the men in yellow and black from the Ruhr, Borussia Dortmund.

The rivalry between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich is one which has really come to the forefront of the imagination of German football in recent years, and coincided with Dortmund’s hiring of charismatic coach Jürgen Klopp in August 2008. Under Klopp’s guidance, Dortmund were transformed from the sleeping giant they had been since success in the Champions League in 1997 into the giants they had always threatened to become.

Klopp’s Dortmund quickly became a favourite of football fanatics worldwide with their swashbuckling style of play marked by lightning quick transitions from defence to attack, exhibited by home-grown talents such as Nuri Şahin and Mats Hummels and bargain purchases like Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Błaszczykowski alike. After finishing fifth in Klopp’s first season in charge, Dortmund won two consecutive titles to surpass Schalke as Germany’s third most successful Bundesliga club.

Predictably, however, this brought Dortmund into direct conflict with Bayern Munich, the undisputed kings of Germany’s Bundesliga era. From 2010 until 2012, relations between the two clubs remained relatively civil as Dortmund bossed proceedings on the pitch. The 2011-12 season saw Bayern and Dortmund face one another on four occasions, with Dortmund winning every one of them, including a vital 1-0 victory at Signal Iduna Park late in the season to all but secure a second consecutive title.

As it turned out, it was this game which marked the turning point in the recent history of the 50 year-old rivalry between the giants of Bavaria and the Ruhr. With Dortmund 1-0 up through Lewandowski’s intelligent flick, Die Schwarzgelben looked on course for a deserved win. But just five minutes from time, Bayern forward Arjen Robben went down under the challenge of goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller and was awarded a penalty to the fury of the majority of the 80,000 in attendance.

Robben stepped up to take a penalty that could not only lengthen the Bundesliga title race, but also allow Bayern to believe that they could beat this incarnation of Dortmund after all. Perhaps it was this demon – the pressure of so many consecutive defeats – that led Robben to scuff a tame penalty into the grasp of Weidenfeller. As Weidenfeller smothered the ball to the adulation of the Yellow Wall, Serbia’s Neven Subotić made a decision that could have changed the course of the rivalry for some time to come.

As Robben stood aghast after missing such a wonderful opportunity, Subotić charged from the edge of the area and screamed at Robben in scenes reminiscent of Martin Keown and Ruud van Nistelrooy’s infamous encounter at Old Trafford in 2003. The previously cordial (relatively, anyway) relationship between the two sides would now be replaced by indifference. A rivalry which once meant more to Dortmund than it did Bayern now meant the world to both of them.

Dortmund’s staggering 5-2 demolition of their rivals in the final of the DFB-Pokal in Berlin gave no clue as to what was to come. Inspired by Manchester United-bound Shinji Kagawa, Dortmund tore Bayern to shreds in a devastating display of attacking football. The biggest final defeat in Bayern’s history was branded “an embarrassment … every goal was like a slap in the face”. The fires had now been stoked; Bayern were riled and embarrassed. Something had to be done about Dortmund’s new-found dominance.

After another catastrophic high-profile defeat against Chelsea in Bayern’s home Champions League final, Jupp Heynckes set about improving his squad for a renewed push on the European and domestic fronts, signing Spanish international Javi Martínez from Athletic Bilbao for €40 million and prolific Wolfsburg forward Mario Mandžukić for €13 million. Meanwhile, BVB lost Kagawa to Manchester United, but replaced him with former academy product Marco Reus.

These transfers were to prove vital as Bayern seized control of confrontations between the clubs in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League, with villain Robben the match-winner in both the tense Pokal quarter-final and, most cathartically, escaping the challenges of Piszczek, Hummels and Subotić to secure a monumental win for the Bavarian giants. As Subotić lay on the floor, devastated as Robben had been a year before, Jérôme Boateng stood over Dortmund’s centre half, roaring his approval. Bayern were back on top.

After the game, Klopp made a comment comparing Bayern to the Chinese in industry and accusing the Bavarians of trying to copy Dortmund’s style of play, to which Heynckes coldly responded: “It’s important for one to show respect in both victory and defeat – but especially in defeat.”

Despite the even nature of the rivalry, and indeed the major flash points being provoked by Dortmund, the rivalry between these two storied clubs is viewed in a familiar light by German football observers and neutrals alike. Bayern, as ever, have been cast as the bad guys, just as they were in their rivalries with Bremen in the late 1980s, Hamburg in the late 1970s and Borussia Mönchengladbach in the late 1960s to early ’70s. For in German football culture, Bayern are still viewed with contempt as a lucky club.

The Bayern-Dusel (Bayern Luck) myth, prominent since the beginning of the start of their period of unprecedented success in the early 1970s, is almost as old as the Bundesliga itself, and despite Bayern’s recent bad luck in major finals – defeats to Inter and Chelsea in Champions League finals and Robben’s pivotal penalty miss being the most obvious of these – their image of the force of evil in German football continues unabated. For many, if they are not lucky, Bayern buy success, or cheat their rivals out of it, an idea harking back to the FC Hollywood days of Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and co.

Meanwhile, Dortmund are well set to take on the role of brave warriors fighting against the Bayern machine. Their exciting brand of football played by unlikely heroes from the Ruhr like Kevin Großkreutz and Roman Weidenfeller ignites the imagination of the neutral observer, while the charismatic Klopp charms all comers with his quips and exaggerated facial expressions.

That BVB hail from a working-class city – while Bayern have always been cast as representatives of the wealthier districts of the Bavarian capital – further aids Dortmund’s cause in charming the neutral observer, and adds to Bayern’s aura of evil. Football is still fundamentally – in Germany at least – a working-class game.

In historical terms, German football has seen the roots of this rivalry before. Between 1968 and 1977, the ever-present Bayern would claim four titles, while a club from a working-class city in the north-west of the country with a charismatic coach would win five. This club was Borussia Mönchengladbach. They played exciting football inspired by the great Günter Netzer, inflicting extraordinary defeats on great clubs including an 11-0 thrashing of Schalke in 1969.

Such was the popularity of the team amongst neutral observers that they were branded the Foals, such was their willingness to charge forward with gay abandon. Meanwhile, the perception of Die Roten was the same as it always was and always has been, defined by drab 1-0 wins and Bayern-Dusel. The perception of the two sides who would dominate German football for a decade is perhaps best summed up by football essayist Helmut Böttiger: “If need be, Bayern won 1-0. Bayern never played themselves into a rapture, they won in a calculating manner … the young foals played free of all restraints, irresistibly moving forward.”

But as in the recent escalation of the Bayern-Dortmund rivalry, this perception was founded more on an odd fundamental hatred of Bayern than facts. For Bayern, inspired by youngsters who would form the spine of West Germany’s great teams of the 1970s, played an equally exciting brand of football, scoring an average of 3.65 goals per game (compared to Gladbach’s 3.4 per game) and in fact, rarely winning 1-0. But while Gladbach’s free-scoring nature was greeted with praise, Bayern’s was only met with more hatred, for under the guise of charismatic coach Hennes Weisweiler, Gladbach’s Foals were the rebels, while a Bayern side whose crown jewel was Der Kaiser himself, Franz Beckenbauer, came to represent authority.

According to Böttiger, Gladbach versus Bayern had become a battle between Gladbach’s radicalism and reform, and Bayern’s rationality and pragmatism. The similarities between this rivalry and the Bayern-Dortmund rivalry of today are uncanny: Bayern the rational, the pragmatic; BVB the radical reformists.

Regardless of who comes out on top in seasons to come, it seems the battle between these two great clubs is set to become another in a series of era-defining Bundesliga rivalries. What’s not in doubt are the roles to be played by the two teams on the pitches of Signal Iduna Park and the Allianz Arena. For whatever happens on and off the pitch, Dortmund will always be the brave rebels, the Foals of the 21st Century. Bayern, however, are forever the bad guys.

Dortmund Music and Lyrics

Jo Marie Dominiak is a singer with many different facets. She loves country music; she likes to sing German and English rock pop and musicals.

She is passionate about singing songs from and about Borussia Dortmund.

Am Borsigplatz geboren...

Wir sind alle am Borsigplatz geboren
Haben früh schon doch für alle Zeiten unser Herz verloren
Wir spürten das egal wohin die Fußballwelt sich dreht
Borussia Dortmund niemals untergeht

(We were all born at Borsigplatz
We have lost our hearts for all time
We felt no matter where the football world is
Borussia Dortmund never goes down)

Es gab Zeiten da gings uns richtig schlecht
Wir blickten in den Abgrund und schworen uns jetzt erst recht
Gemeinsam durch das Tränental geschlossen Hand in Hand und
Am Ende der dunkeln Gasse erstrahlt die gelbe Wand

(There were times when we went really bad
We looked into the abyss and vowed to do so now
Together through the Tränental closed hand in hand and
At the end of the dark alley the yellow wall shines)

Borussia Dortmund 09
Hunderttausend Freunde ein Verein
Die Menschen im Schwarz und Gelben Ruhrgebiet
Werden immer stolz an deiner Seite sein

(Borussia Dortmund 09
Hundreds of thousands of friends a club
People in the Black and Yellow Ruhr area
Will always be proud by your side)

Goldene Zukunft braucht Vergangenheit
Wir denken an die Jungs von früher in tiefer Dankbarkeit
Unser Herz ist voller Leidenschaft der Wille ist aus Stahl
Wer uns in unserm Stolz verletzt der macht das nur einmal

(Golden future needs the past
We think of the guys from earlier in deep gratitude
Our heart is full of passion the will is made of steel
Whoever hurts us in our pride does it only once)

Eine Liebe die für alle Zeiten hält
weil wir wissen das im schönsten Stadion der Welt
11 Borussen auf dem Rasen für das große Ganze stehen
und wir für unsern BVB durch jedes Feuer gehen

(A love that will last forever
Because we know this in the most beautiful stadium in the world
11 Borussen on the grass for the big whole stand
And we go for our BVB through every fire)

Borussia Dortmund 09
Hunderttausend Freunde ein Verein
Die Menschen im Schwarz und Gelben Ruhrgebiet
Werden immer stolz an deiner Seite sein

(Borussia Dortmund 09
Hundreds of thousands of friends a club
People in the Black and Yellow Ruhr area
Will always be proud by your side)

Borussia Dortmund 09
Hunderttausend Freunde ein Verein
Die Menschen im Schwarz und Gelben Ruhrgebiet
Werden immer stolz an deiner Seite sein

(Borussia Dortmund 09
Hundreds of thousands of friends a club
People in the Black and Yellow Ruhr area
Will always be proud by your side)

Die Menschen im Schwarz und Gelben Ruhrgebiet
Werden immer stolz an deiner Seite sein

(People in the Black and Yellow Ruhr area
Will always be proud by your side)

Dortmund, unsere Stadt...

Dortmund, unsere Stadt,
ist bekannt auf dieser Welt.
Weil sie etwas hat,
was andern Städten fehlt.
Von hier kam der Stahl,
die Kohle und das Bier!
Die ehrlichsten Menschen
kommen hier aus dem Revier!
Doch der wahre Grund,
dass man diese Stadt so liebt
heißt BVB, BVB 09!

(Dortmund, our city,
Is known in this world.
Because she has something,
Which is missing from other cities.
From here came the steel,
The coal and the beer!
The most honest people
Come here from the station!
But the real reason,
That you love this city so much
Is BVB, BVB 09!)

Borussia Dortmund,
du bist unser Leben!
Borussia Dortmund,
du nur ganz allein!
Borussia Dortmund,
hast uns so viel gegeben.

(Borussia Dortmund,
You are our life!
Borussia Dortmund,
You only all alone
Borussia Dortmund,
Have given us so much.)

Wir sind dir treu und werden's immer sein!

(We are faithful to you and will always be!)

Einst hat man hier das schwarze Gold zu Tag gebracht.
Jetzt wird die Kohle anderswo gemacht.
Glutroter Stahl brannte hell wohl in der Nacht,
an diesem Ort ist Phoenix dann erwacht!
Doch der wahre Grunde,
dass man diese Stadt so liebt
heißt BVB, BVB 09!

(Once you have brought the black gold to day.
Now the coal is made elsewhere.
Glorious steel burned bright well at night,
At this place, Phoenix has awakened!
But the real reason,
That you love this city so much
Is BVB, BVB 09!)

Borussia Dortmund,
du bist unser Leben!
Borussia Dortmund,
du nur ganz allein!
Borussia Dortmund,
hast uns soviel gegeben.

(Borussia Dortmund,
You are our life!
Borussia Dortmund,
You only all alone
Borussia Dortmund,
Have given us so much.)

Wir sind dir treu und werden's immer sein!

(We are faithful to you and will always be!)

Wir sind dir treu und werden's immer sein!

(We are faithful to you and will always be!)

Wir sind dir treu und werden's immer sein!

(We are faithful to you and will always be!)

Thank you all for taking the time to read through this thread and for considering a save with Borussia Dortmund in Football Manager 2017. I look forward to your contributions and the opportunity to update you on the progress of my own BVB game.

Echte Liebe!

[Michael Zorc]

Reserved for future input on potential signings.

[BoobyBlah]

Far out thats one hell of a post mate good effort!

[Jean-Luc]

This is one impressive guide. I tip my hat to you. It's more a whole book than a thread. Awesome!

But you got me chuckle at your treatment of Götze there. Each player gets two long parts of introduction and tactical explanation, and Götze gets a few lines. Maybe you should explain to the baffled readers who don't follow the Bundesliga why you refuse to talk about him.

[evertonmarc]

Ok i'm sold. Totally.

Loading BVB as i type this.......

[tyro]

Wow. Monster thread. Very, very detailed. 

Your tactic is also very interesting and you put a lot of thought into it. I'm curious to see how you do with it

 

[RandomGuy.]

Been plotting a save in Germany, as I've never played there on FM before. Was edging towards Red Bull, but this has just won me over.

FWIW Timo Horn has a £7.75m release clause at the start of the game. A perfect Dortmund signing IMO.

[Michael Zorc]

22 hours ago, Jean-Luc said:

This is one impressive guide. I tip my hat to you. It's more a whole book than a thread. Awesome!

But you got me chuckle at your treatment of Götze there. Each player gets two long parts of introduction and tactical explanation, and Götze gets a few lines. Maybe you should explain to the baffled readers who don't follow the Bundesliga why you refuse to talk about him.

Ah yes, of course!

The betrayal by Gotze was both hard to understand and difficult to forget.

After joining the Dortmund youth setup at a young age (8 or 9 years old), he was a player who grew up with the club and a member of the team that won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, completing the league and cup double in the latter year.

However, things turned sour when he announced his departure to Bayern Munich by triggering a minimum fee release clause in his contract, just 36 hours before a key semi-final first leg against Real Madrid in the Champions League. This was a competition that Bayern was still competing in as well! He was subsequently injured in the second leg and missed the final against his soon-to-be new employers. Dortmund ultimately lost the final to Bayern.

A year earlier he had actually signed a new contract with Dortmund, saying: "Everyone knows how comfortable I feel in Dortmund. The club are far from finished with their recent resurgence. And I want to be part of this development." Clearly he didn't want to be around for that long!

Jurgen Klopp revealed in an interview that his young star had expressed a desire to work with incoming Bayern coach Pep Guardiola and, in response to Gotze's reasoning for leaving, even famously said, "I can't short myself by 15 centimetres and start learning Spanish." Gotze openly telling his boss that he wanted to play under Guardiola was highly disrespectful to the man who showed so much faith in him, and who had such a major role in his development and introduction to the first team. Not to mention the fact that he was plotting a move to Dortmund's biggest title rivals at a time when he should have been more concentrated on finishing the season with Dortmund as Champions League winners. He acted in a very devious and selfish manner, with little thought for his teammates at a crucial stage of the campaign.

Gotze even sued some Dortmund supporters who wrote the anti-Gotze song "Hast Du Jetzt Was Du Willst?" - translated as "Do You Have What You Want Now?"

These are all things which are difficult to forget for many of us.

[Michael Zorc]

22 hours ago, evertonmarc said:

Ok i'm sold. Totally.

Loading BVB as i type this.......

Good luck with your new BVB save! Be sure to let us know how you get on. Would love to hear about your progress. 

13 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

Been plotting a save in Germany, as I've never played there on FM before. Was edging towards Red Bull, but this has just won me over.

FWIW Timo Horn has a £7.75m release clause at the start of the game. A perfect Dortmund signing IMO.

Awesome. All the best with your Dortmund game. Look forward to hearing any updates you have for us. 

Good call on Timo Horn, too. An excellent 'keeper at a very reasonable price. 

[wwxxyyzz]

Pretty sure with this level of details, you might actually be Michael Zorc

Great thread anyway, Dortmund are always a fun save. What sort of results are you getting with your tactic?

[RandomGuy.]

Had an interesting save so far, had to start again as I'd forgotten about the fake German file, which ruined things for me.

This is the tactic I'm using..

And results so far...

We're a bit of an odd side, can pump anyone but can struggle against anyone too. Aubameyang is frustrating, misses enough chances to make me ponder getting another first striker, but then inevitably manages to score enough to make me want to stick by him.

I sold Papastathopoulos and Kagawa for £22m and £28m, bringing in Horn (£7.75m), Rodrigo Caio (£12m) and Angel Correa (£15m) in their place.

Pulisic has been outstanding, to the point where Schurrle is mostly on the bench. Cant get anyone working too well in the AM position though. Castro has off days, Gotze is even more inconsistent and Correa isn't up to speed yet. Intrigued to see how Reus does there once he's fit.

[ig0rf]

44 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Pulisic has been outstanding, to the point where Schurrle is mostly on the bench. Cant get anyone working too well in the AM position though. Castro has off days, Gotze is even more inconsistent and Correa isn't up to speed yet. Intrigued to see how Reus does there once he's fit.

Pulisic is incredible, and so does Guerreiro. They are amazing players.

I really had some difficult with Dortmund. I had an absolutely amazing start, beating Bayern in the Supercup and scoring lots of goals in the first games, but after that I just couldn't be consistent. In my opinion, the 4-2-3-1 is ideal for the players that BVB have, but I didn't get to make the team play. Finished the 1st season in 4th and struggling in the second. Maybe I'll start a new save and try again..

[RandomGuy.]

2 hours ago, ig0rf said:

Pulisic is incredible, and so does Guerreiro. They are amazing players.

I really had some difficult with Dortmund. I had an absolutely amazing start, beating Bayern in the Supercup and scoring lots of goals in the first games, but after that I just couldn't be consistent. In my opinion, the 4-2-3-1 is ideal for the players that BVB have, but I didn't get to make the team play. Finished the 1st season in 4th and struggling in the second. Maybe I'll start a new save and try again..

Yeah, Guerreiro is easily first choice for me, despite looking poorer defensively, his pace is a huge asset in a high defensive line.

I also went through a dip, around October time, lost heavily to Leicester and Leverkusen (who are running away with the league), but Reus' return has coincided with Gotze hitting some form, so we're now creeping upwards again. Just crushed Wolfsburg 7-3 at home, we were 6-0 up at half time! Genuinely considering selling Schurrle already, Reus is in that position and Pulisic has impressed too, Larsen is always in my thoughts aswell.

 

[ronaldo1026]

And, my save for FM17 has been selected. Incredible work!

[Hoarau]

I love this club. Bravo on an outstanding read Mr Zorc.

Ive only started my BVB save at the weekend and I'm still in preseason, spent time sorting out training, preseason schedule and sorting the squad. Here's brief run down of what I hope to do in this save and things that have happened so far.

- Felix Passlack, I had a lot of success in FM16 with training Felix to be an attacking winger and hope to achieve the same in this version, ideally with tutoring and training I'd like to mould him into a sort of "Reus-lite". 

- Sticking with Dortmund's successful market strategy, I'm gonna be focusing on domestic based players like BVB have done with Schurrle, Weigl, Castro etc. Also I want to do what they have done with the likes of Lewandowski, Kagawa etc and bring in young foreign players with the aim to make them stars.

- Selling. I know some of you may not agree with this outlook, but I don't want drama, no unhappy players NI split squads. if a player gets his head turned as has happened in the past then I'll be open to the prospect of letting them leave, only though, if the fee is right.

- On that note my first prices of business ended up being a sale, I get the feeling this may happened more that it should but I sold a player to PSG after some tough negotiating, a structure deal worth around the £34m mark for Shinji Kagawa. I honestly didn't start the save with the intention of selling him as I like Kags, but hes 27, Gotze is back along with the addition of Dembele & Schurrle. Not the loss it was when he left back in 2012 so I thought the fee was acceptable. Ive found one or two prospects who eventually will fill the whole Kagawa will leave in the squad.

- Those players are Hirving Lozano and Louis Schaub. Lozano is more of a winger and perhaps more one dimensional that Kagawa, Schaub is perhaps a little more well rounded and can cover all the positions across the attacking midfield slots. I also really like the BVB youth options In Mor & Larsen, i'd ideally like to give them some game time this season but that may be a struggle.

- Up top I'm unsure what to do? I'll keep PEA as long as possible but in terms of a back up and eventual replacement I'm undecided how to approach. I think Ramos may see the door, i'd like to find a Lewa-like striker, in terms of a quiet unknown to be back up for a year or so.

Once I actually advance a few days I'll put a bit more detailed post up.

[..Valhalla..]

What an outstanding thread, well done OP 

 

I'm currently managing der BvB myself, and having fun. I'll firstly admit that I holidayed until June 1st 2017 (I almost always do that because the game is a mess at the very start, in my personal opinion). Switched off first transfer budgets to keep player movement to a minimum.

When I took over, Dortmund had finished 2nd again and the club was in a predictably very healthy financial condition. I was given a transfer budget of £89m iirc. Anyway my summer window activity was as follows, notable transfers:

 

Players out.

P. E. Aubameyang - PSG £52m (£65m)

Ousmanne Dembélé - Man United £28.5m (£48m)

Marc Bartra - Liverpool - £22m (£31.5m)

Sebastian Rode - Bayern Munich - £17.75m (£24m)

 

Players in.

Gianluigi Donnarumma - Milan - £55m (£71m)

Andrea Boletti - Torino - £30m

Mamadou Sakho - Liverpool - £27.5m

Danilo Cataldi - Lazio - £17.5m (£19m)

 

Net spend: £10m

We've started pretty well in the League, utterly dominating teams while new striker Belotti is on fire with 10 goals in 9 matches. Drew 0-0 away to Wolfsburg and incredibly lost 1-0 away to Greuther Fürth despite being far and away the better team. No matter, we are 1 point off top.

The Champions League group was tough, pitching us against PSG, Valencia and Sporting Lisbon. We won the first match at home beating Valencia 3-0, and I get the feeling Aubameyang will score a few against us (God I hate that commentary bit, and it always happens with ex players).

Beat Bayern in the Super Cup on penalties, with Donnarumma saving a couple so a great start to the season.

My only issue so far is Marco Reus; he's playing absolutely gash, by far my worst rated player all season (6.53). He either has a stinker or gets injured. I've moved him to Dortmund II after his horrific display against Fürth (6.1) and plan to sell him as soon as possible.

[Dark Demon]

Fantastic write-up, probably the best I've ever seen for a club thread.

Had a United save running but kind of ruined it with silly transfers and have been looking for a new save, was thinking about doing one of the Milan clubs but you've convinced me to go with Dortmund.

[Bunkerossian]

Great introduction- one can see it's been written by a true fan. Sadly, the roster leaves little options for tactical variations: possession and extreme pressing are the only option.

[OLLMEISTER1]

By far and away the best club thread I have read on this forum.....cap docked to you sir.

Currently on my BMG save at present but will be switching to a BVB save once the patch rectifies the issue regarding German players not wanting to transfer to controlled teams. Massive issue for me is that as I love to sign young German players and develop them into the system. I aim to have a 80% core of German squad on my German leagues, the current bug doesn't allow this for me.

Again great work

[RandomGuy.]

A frustrating first season. Leverkusen were ~16pts in front at one stage, before failing to win any of their last five games.

Aubameyang, Dembele, Reus and Weigl were all incredible for me. Dembele averaging 7.62 and winning the Golden Boy award.

Pulisic has improved incredibly well too, a terrifying prospect.

Sadly Manchester City have started skulking around Dembele, and started making bids. I can tell Dembele will soon get unhappy, so decided to barter before that happens, in the hope it gets me a better price. £64m up front, but with on clauses, was the best I could get, bidding had started at £32m. Didn't want to sell him,  but want to keep bringing youngsters through and his departure, combined with the hopeful sale of Schurrle, means I can move Reus onto the right, and allow Larsen some game time. It'll also mean Emre Mor takes a step up the ladder, as Reus has had consistent injury problems.

 

[RandomGuy.]

Signed Franck Kessie for £13m, and was feeling happy with the squad. Then PSG offered £80m for Aubameyang. No choice but to accept that, so I've now lost Dembele and Aubameyang. Sadly theres a lack of real quality young strikers, so I'll have to dip into the transfer market for this.

[Sabine]

Although I have a very good Sunderland save at the moment, I can't help thinking that Dortmund is the right save for me for some reason.  Their squad is near-perfect with a few minor touches.

I'll be holidaying until June 2017 as well, as it is my preference.

I honestly feel that if you can get a great fee, selling Aubameyang is ideal because he's vastly underrated in some areas (ie. the most important areas; dribbling, finishing, first touch) and could improve on him with a much better player.

[yaprulez]

Hi guys. First time playing German league and decided to go with Dortmund. Just a quick question. I noticed that Dortmund II hasn't got any matches scheduled at all. Does that mean that players who are in Dortmind II will not get any match practice at all or are they playing for the U19s? 

[Sabine]

Keeping up with traditions..

I now have £147 million to play with.   It's going to be a very fun save.

[Michael Zorc]

2 hours ago, yaprulez said:

Hi guys. First time playing German league and decided to go with Dortmund. Just a quick question. I noticed that Dortmund II hasn't got any matches scheduled at all. Does that mean that players who are in Dortmind II will not get any match practice at all or are they playing for the U19s? 

Hi Yaprulez,

Dortmund II plays in the 4th tier of German football so the players in this squad will get game time in that division. However, since this league is unplayable in the default FM database, these matches are essentially not seen, even though they do occur (if that makes sense). The members of this squad will still accumulate appearances which can be seen in the stats section of each individual player profile screen - they just won't be listed as fixtures in the team schedule.

Of course, Dortmund II has the opportunity to get promoted to the 3rd tier in future seasons, which would then allow their matches to appear in the actual fixture list, and become viewable in the process.

Good luck with your game. 

[DirtyJoe]

Great thread. Nice explanation on the Gotze issue.

[Michael Zorc]

On 11/21/2016 at 06:08, RandomGuy. said:

Had an interesting save so far, had to start again as I'd forgotten about the fake German file, which ruined things for me.

This is the tactic I'm using..

And results so far...

We're a bit of an odd side, can pump anyone but can struggle against anyone too. Aubameyang is frustrating, misses enough chances to make me ponder getting another first striker, but then inevitably manages to score enough to make me want to stick by him.

I sold Papastathopoulos and Kagawa for £22m and £28m, bringing in Horn (£7.75m), Rodrigo Caio (£12m) and Angel Correa (£15m) in their place.

Pulisic has been outstanding, to the point where Schurrle is mostly on the bench. Cant get anyone working too well in the AM position though. Castro has off days, Gotze is even more inconsistent and Correa isn't up to speed yet. Intrigued to see how Reus does there once he's fit.

Sokratis is a great sale, in my opinion. From the very first pre-season friendly I played, he constantly gave the ball away and tried long range passes from deep inside his own half, allowing the opposition to win the ball and counter-attack from dangerous areas, despite the team having "play out of defence" and "shorter passing" as instructions, and Papastathopoulos himself having "fewer risky passes" selected. He just seemed like a constant liability and had a propensity to dive into tackles and make poor decisions. He doesn't have brilliant game intelligence, nor is he much of a cultured defender, as we can see from his attributes, so given his performances thus far, I'd be delighted to receive an offer that is anywhere near the fantastic amount you managed to get for him!

Some quality signings you made there too, by the way. If my thinking is correct and it's the same guy, I managed Angel Correa at Sampdoria in FM16 and had some real success with him.

I actually received a bid from PSG for Kagawa but, although the overall price was around £30m, only just over half of it was up front, so I decided to reject the initial advance. Kagawa wasn't happy and had a chat to me about it and I've since agreed to sell him for £28m. However, I will be insisting on getting all of that as an up front fee. In any case, I'm really pleased with Pulisic in pre-season so I don't feel as though I would miss Kagawa if the price is right.

10 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

A frustrating first season. Leverkusen were ~16pts in front at one stage, before failing to win any of their last five games.

Aubameyang, Dembele, Reus and Weigl were all incredible for me. Dembele averaging 7.62 and winning the Golden Boy award.

Pulisic has improved incredibly well too, a terrifying prospect.

Sadly Manchester City have started skulking around Dembele, and started making bids. I can tell Dembele will soon get unhappy, so decided to barter before that happens, in the hope it gets me a better price. £64m up front, but with on clauses, was the best I could get, bidding had started at £32m. Didn't want to sell him,  but want to keep bringing youngsters through and his departure, combined with the hopeful sale of Schurrle, means I can move Reus onto the right, and allow Larsen some game time. It'll also mean Emre Mor takes a step up the ladder, as Reus has had consistent injury problems.

 

That's a decent effort in the first season. I can see you weren't lacking in the goals department, with over 90. That's much like the real Dortmund - cavalier and attacking! Interesting to see Leverkusen having such a good season and ending up as champions, even more surprised after reading that there was a 15+ point gap at one stage. They can be a bit hit and miss in both FM and real life so it's a decent effort by them to finish top. Still, 2nd is a solid foundation to build upon for season 2 and it guarantees CL football to keep the money coming in, and good players interested in joining you. With the youth and inexperience throughout much of the Dortmund side, I'm actually expecting a similar outcome in my first season, depending how much I rely upon the really young guys, and how often I put the more season pros like Piszczek, Schurrle and Kagawa on the bench.

It's a shame that Dembele was taken by City but given the propensity of players to cause disruptions when they don't get their move, I think you've played your cards pretty well to negotiate and get the £64m that you secured. It's more than enough for a quality replacement and the likes of Pulisic and Larsen are good options at the club already, even before any additional depth is added.

9 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

Signed Franck Kessie for £13m, and was feeling happy with the squad. Then PSG offered £80m for Aubameyang. No choice but to accept that, so I've now lost Dembele and Aubameyang. Sadly theres a lack of real quality young strikers, so I'll have to dip into the transfer market for this.

£80m for Aubameyang is a tremendous fee. I'd be well pleased with that, and it gives you an opportunity to go for a real top notch replacement.

Interestingly, I had a fair amount of success with Ramos up top and Aubameyang playing the roaming winger role I've created on the right flank. His pace really suits the wider areas, while my tactic overall seems to benefit from having a player with greater link-up capabilities as my false nine. We tend to keep possession a lot better and also have a bit more variety to our play as Ramos acts as a good outlet for the ball playing defender's occasional long range passes. At the same time, we still utilise Aubameyang's strengths and the roam from position instruction means he still gets into threatening positions inside the box and behind the opposition defence. As a result of this shift, Reus plays on the left and Pulisic through the centre.

Dembele has really awesome potential but at the moment I'm trying to build up his mental attributes to make him work harder and more for the team, as well as improving decisions/concentration/composure which was causing him to lose the ball a little too often for my liking (particularly as a starter in the first 11). He is incredibly quick and dynamic, though, and a real impact off the bench, so I can see him claiming a starting spot in the near future once the tutoring and individual training has had it's desired effects.

Overall, it looks like you've done really well for yourself in the transfer market and have set the team up nicely for a renewed title challenge. All the best for season 2!

[OLLMEISTER1]

9 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

Signed Franck Kessie for £13m, and was feeling happy with the squad. Then PSG offered £80m for Aubameyang. No choice but to accept that, so I've now lost Dembele and Aubameyang. Sadly theres a lack of real quality young strikers, so I'll have to dip into the transfer market for this.

Sign and mould Kasper Dolberg from Ajax, comfortable up top or as an inside forward.

Another great option is Milik from Napoli....very Lewandowski esque IMO

[yaprulez]

1 hour ago, Michael Zorc said:

Hi Yaprulez,

Dortmund II plays in the 4th tier of German football so the players in this squad will get game time in that division. However, since this league is unplayable in the default FM database, these matches are essentially not seen, even though they do occur (if that makes sense). The members of this squad will still accumulate appearances which can be seen in the stats section of each individual player profile screen - they just won't be listed as fixtures in the team schedule.

Of course, Dortmund II has the opportunity to get promoted to the 3rd tier in future seasons, which would then allow their matches to appear in the actual fixture list, and become viewable in the process.

Good luck with your game. 

Thanks for the explanation! Much appreciated. 

enjoying my Dortmund save so far. Brought in Rajkovic to challenge Burki in goal, Fredrik Oldrup Jensen and Roberto Gagliardini to backup my midfielders as well as Luan who can play anywhere in the front three. Also found a gem of a striker in Harold Preciado to backup PEA. Sold Kagawa, Park Joo Ho and Adrian Ramos. 

[RandomGuy.]

2 hours ago, Michael Zorc said:

Sokratis is a great sale, in my opinion. From the very first pre-season friendly I played, he constantly gave the ball away and tried long range passes from deep inside his own half, allowing the opposition to win the ball and counter-attack from dangerous areas, despite the team having "play out of defence" and "shorter passing" as instructions, and Papastathopoulos himself having "fewer risky passes" selected. He just seemed like a constant liability and had a propensity to dive into tackles and make poor decisions. He doesn't have brilliant game intelligence, nor is he much of a cultured defender, as we can see from his attributes, so given his performances thus far, I'd be delighted to receive an offer that is anywhere near the fantastic amount you managed to get for him!

Some quality signings you made there too, by the way. If my thinking is correct and it's the same guy, I managed Angel Correa at Sampdoria in FM16 and had some real success with him.

I actually received a bid from PSG for Kagawa but, although the overall price was around £30m, only just over half of it was up front, so I decided to reject the initial advance. Kagawa wasn't happy and had a chat to me about it and I've since agreed to sell him for £28m. However, I will be insisting on getting all of that as an up front fee. In any case, I'm really pleased with Pulisic in pre-season so I don't feel as though I would miss Kagawa if the price is right.

That's a decent effort in the first season. I can see you weren't lacking in the goals department, with over 90. That's much like the real Dortmund - cavalier and attacking! Interesting to see Leverkusen having such a good season and ending up as champions, even more surprised after reading that there was a 15+ point gap at one stage. They can be a bit hit and miss in both FM and real life so it's a decent effort by them to finish top. Still, 2nd is a solid foundation to build upon for season 2 and it guarantees CL football to keep the money coming in, and good players interested in joining you. With the youth and inexperience throughout much of the Dortmund side, I'm actually expecting a similar outcome in my first season, depending how much I rely upon the really young guys, and how often I put the more season pros like Piszczek, Schurrle and Kagawa on the bench.

It's a shame that Dembele was taken by City but given the propensity of players to cause disruptions when they don't get their move, I think you've played your cards pretty well to negotiate and get the £64m that you secured. It's more than enough for a quality replacement and the likes of Pulisic and Larsen are good options at the club already, even before any additional depth is added.

£80m for Aubameyang is a tremendous fee. I'd be well pleased with that, and it gives you an opportunity to go for a real top notch replacement.

Interestingly, I had a fair amount of success with Ramos up top and Aubameyang playing the roaming winger role I've created on the right flank. His pace really suits the wider areas, while my tactic overall seems to benefit from having a player with greater link-up capabilities as my false nine. We tend to keep possession a lot better and also have a bit more variety to our play as Ramos acts as a good outlet for the ball playing defender's occasional long range passes. At the same time, we still utilise Aubameyang's strengths and the roam from position instruction means he still gets into threatening positions inside the box and behind the opposition defence. As a result of this shift, Reus plays on the left and Pulisic through the centre.

Dembele has really awesome potential but at the moment I'm trying to build up his mental attributes to make him work harder and more for the team, as well as improving decisions/concentration/composure which was causing him to lose the ball a little too often for my liking (particularly as a starter in the first 11). He is incredibly quick and dynamic, though, and a real impact off the bench, so I can see him claiming a starting spot in the near future once the tutoring and individual training has had it's desired effects.

Overall, it looks like you've done really well for yourself in the transfer market and have set the team up nicely for a renewed title challenge. All the best for season 2!

Cheers! 

Yeah Ginter and Bartra have been very good for me, although I play with a high line and try and play an offside trap, so we regularly concede goals from lofted balls in behind them that a quick/smart striker can capitalize on. Thats my biggest problem at the moment, that issue was deepened when I played Sokratis, so I was close to actively trying to sell him before PSG came in with an offer.

Yes Leverkusen were a surprise, I spent all season working out how I was doing in comparison to Munich, believing finishing above them would see me lift the title, but Brandt and Hernandez were sublime it seems. In the Summer they managed to keep hold of both, while also signing Firmino from Liverpool, so they should challenge again. Really it was their consistency that won them the league, as I started poorly then had a few winless runs along the way.

Dembele got 30 assists for me, as a W(a) on the right, he didn't seem to progress attributes wise a huge amount though, which was odd. While, as I've mentioned before, I couldn't get Gotze or Correa working well in the CAM position last season. Gave Pulisic are run there in pre-season and he looked decent, so at points this season I may play him there and give Larsen game time on the left, but Correa has started the new season well, so gets his chance. Ramos was too inconsistent for me to rely on, I made the bold step of signing Berahino on a free, as I felt he looked a very good fit and was cheap enough to be worth a gamble.

1 hour ago, OLLMEISTER1 said:

Sign and mould Kasper Dolberg from Ajax, comfortable up top or as an inside forward.

Another great option is Milik from Napoli....very Lewandowski esque IMO

I looked at Dolberg for a while in the first season, then Berahino came up so I forgot about him. Arsenal signed him in the Summer and I must've completely skimmed over the e-mail telling him they made an offer.

Milik is someone I completely forgot about, so I'll be having a look at him to see whats what. 

Forward I was currently considering was Vietto from Atletico, a bit more technical than Berahino, and available for £20m. I feel like those two, plus Ramos, would give me a nice mix of styles.

[Hoarau]

Is the issue with German players not signing for German teams actually as severe as I'm lead to believe? I haven't tried as of yet to make a domestic move, although I do have some targets.

With Kagawa leaving I've invested the funds in some more promising youngsters. Theres interest in Aubameyang and I fear I won't be able to keep him around, ideally it'll be a huge fee that takes him to PSG or Madrid. Has anyway tried and got anywhere near bringing Lewandowski back? I managed it last year after 3 or so seasons.  

Had a look at Dembele from Celtic as an option for up top, fairly well round and room to develop. Not a huge fee either. Anyone considered him? 

[OLLMEISTER1]

1 hour ago, Hoarau said:

Is the issue with German players not signing for German teams actually as severe as I'm lead to believe? I haven't tried as of yet to make a domestic move, although I do have some targets.

With Kagawa leaving I've invested the funds in some more promising youngsters. Theres interest in Aubameyang and I fear I won't be able to keep him around, ideally it'll be a huge fee that takes him to PSG or Madrid. Has anyway tried and got anywhere near bringing Lewandowski back? I managed it last year after 3 or so seasons.  

Had a look at Dembele from Celtic as an option for up top, fairly well round and room to develop. Not a huge fee either. Anyone considered him? 

Completely broke for me in the 3 saves I have tried thus far, BMG, Wolfsburg & Hoffenheim.

German players playing outside of Germany will be interested but any player domestically is a no go, not even youth players and Bundesliga 2 team players are interested. Severely disappointed as the majority of my saves are German based and signing German youth.

Pretty much means my save is redundant until it is fixed in the patch, that could be well after January or even February so not happy at all.

How can SI get something so fundamentally wrong? I mean it is one of the top leagues in the game, could understand if it was a minor league but there is no excuse for this to be happening in Germany.

[Sabine]

I went a bit crazy all around with the transfers.  I had some great offers for the likes of Schurrle and especially Auba.  I have essentially just sold players who don't fit the formation that I'm intending to play with. 

I coughed up on Emre Can because he always turns into a tremendously gifted player in recent versions and he is only on £120k/week.

Timo Horn will be my new #1 keeper with Weidenfeller calling it a day and Burki quite honestly not being up to scratch for me. 

The other transfers are mainly just improving squad depth and I might make a few more depending on if I can get good offers for anyone.

This is very much what I'm going for at the moment.  I don't know too much about team instructions at the moment so I've left them very basic but they will change throughout the season.

I absolutely love playing strikerless formations and Dortmund has given me a great opportunity to maximise the potential of the tactic.

[RandomGuy.]

That tactic looks like it would turn the centre of the park into an extremely congested area surely? 

Be interesting to see how that turns out.

[Sabine]

I have had no issues so far.
Despite the narrowness of the formation, it appears that the team still roam enough to create space effectively.

[RandomGuy.]

My second Summer transfer window is now done, was fairly busy, as I brought in 17 players, the vast, vast majority were younger players though, and more than 17 left.

Main outgoings were Rodrigo Caio (£15.5m, somehow made a profit despite him being very poor for me), Gonzalo Castro (£14.5m, was useful, but was getting worse and didn't seem a great tutor), Ousmane Dembele (£64m) and Aubameyang (£80m).

Main incomers were Mattia Perrin (£6.5m, young keeper to compete with Horn as Weidenfeller is regressing badly, and Burki is poor), Antonio Rudiger (£18m, needed a back up CB and he fits the bill for me, low concentration worries me slightly, but he'll only play against weaker sides), Kieran Tierney (£7m, need a left back with Schmelzer ageing and Guerriero being coveted by Real Madrid), Franck Kessie (£13.25m), Oliver Burke (£12.5m, wanted a direct, pacey right winger to replace Dembele, feel like he'll provide that alongside Reus, with Mor out on loan), Saido Berahino (free) and Luciano Vietto (£20m).

Made a net profit of £94m and strengthened the depth significantly. Remains to be seen if we'll be as good as last season, but so far Kessie is an upgrade on Rode as a deeper midfielder beside Weigl. We've also coped with Dembele leaving by putting Reus on the right and Pulisic on the left, and he's more than matching Dembele so far. Up front is where I worry we'll be weaker, have to hope Vietto and Berahino can settle in quick.

[yaprulez]

Into my second season. Hate the issue on German players not moving to other German clubs. Agreed a deal for Niklas Sule but he just refused to come even though i have just won the Champions League. 

Bayern doing what they do best in my save. Coveting my star players. Just sold Aubameyang to them for 75million and now they are coming after Dembele. 

Sold Sahin, Aubameyang, Durm, Gagliardini and Subotic. Brought in Rudiger, Luciano Vietto, Kasper Dolberg, Vincent Marchetti and a few other youngsters and regens for the U19s and II side. 

Quite a number of clubs sniffing at Raphael Guerriero but i'm holding out for a large fee and till i can find someone else. Any suggestions. Quality full backs are hard to find. 

[DirtyJoe]

1 minute ago, yaprulez said:

Hate the issue on German players not moving to other German clubs. Agreed a deal for Niklas Sule but he just refused to come even though i have just won the Champions League. 

Yes finding that a bit myself. A couple were transfer listed by request as well.

[Quinby]

50 minutes ago, yaprulez said:

Hate the issue on German players not moving to other German clubs. Agreed a deal for Niklas Sule but he just refused to come even though i have just won the Champions League. 

Bayern doing what they do best in my save. Coveting my star players. Just sold Aubameyang to them for 75million and now they are coming after Dembele. 

Sold Sahin, Aubameyang, Durm, Gagliardini and Subotic. Brought in Rudiger, Luciano Vietto, Kasper Dolberg, Vincent Marchetti and a few other youngsters and regens for the U19s and II side. 

Quite a number of clubs sniffing at Raphael Guerriero but i'm holding out for a large fee and till i can find someone else. Any suggestions. Quality full backs are hard to find. 

Hey @yaprulez how much did you bring in Dolberg and Marchetti for and what season? I'm keen to bring them in too.

[OLLMEISTER1]

5 hours ago, yaprulez said:

Hate the issue on German players not moving to other German clubs. Agreed a deal for Niklas Sule but he just refused to come even though i have just won the Champions League. 

Massive game breaker for me personally this year, as the majority of my saves are in the Bundesliga and transfer targets are mostly German.

Very disappointed indeed. Has SI even confirmed this a bug yet or not do you know?

[RandomGuy.]

9 hours ago, OLLMEISTER1 said:

Massive game breaker for me personally this year, as the majority of my saves are in the Bundesliga and transfer targets are mostly German.

Very disappointed indeed. Has SI even confirmed this a bug yet or not do you know?

I'm sure I've seen it mentioned on here that its being looked into, but likely won't be resolved until the next major update.

 

[yaprulez]

20 hours ago, Quinby said:

Hey @yaprulez how much did you bring in Dolberg and Marchetti for and what season? I'm keen to bring them in too.

Got both of them at the start of the second season. Dolberg for 19 mil and Marchetti for 9 Mil, most of which are in installments. 

Finding it tough in the second season. The tactics which i used to great effect in the first season doesnt seems to be working now. Is the AI that clever now, considering i didnt play FM16? 

[Hoarau]

I've deleted my BVB save for now, this German player issue has affected my save to much. I've decided to restart as i'm not entirely convinced any fix will be save game compatible, if so I don't know why a hot fix hasn't been released? I will come back and start again, BVB is too good a save this version to stay away.

[davehibb]

1 hour ago, Hoarau said:

I've deleted my BVB save for now, this German player issue has affected my save to much. I've decided to restart as i'm not entirely convinced any fix will be save game compatible, if so I don't know why a hot fix hasn't been released? I will come back and start again, BVB is too good a save this version to stay away.

This is pretty much the case for me too. I'd loaded up, gone through all that first day ritual, got everything in place, ready to press continue for the first time and then read about the issue here...

[yaprulez]

Well, i have managed to convince Sule to sign for me but its a damn long process. I started to send my scout to watch him every match by making him my top transfer target and i got Marco Reus to talk about him in the media. After about half a season, he started to sway about not moving and instead, became desperate to move to the club. So manage to do a deal with Hoffenheim for $35mil in installments plus addons. So i guess its possible to get them to move, just that its damn tedious... 

[RandomGuy.]

Season two saw me top of the table going into the final weekend. Lose away to BMG and Bayern win, meaning they win the title by one point. 

We then meet in the Cup Final. 2-1 up and Bayern then equalise in the final minute. Reus picks up an injury in extra time so I'm down to ten men, then Bayern score the winner with five minutes to go.

I hate Bayern.

[enders357]

Hi all. Can I ask about this issue with German based German players not being interested in moving to another German club - how badly is it affecting your saves? I really want to play as Dortmund and was hoping to get started this weekend, but if this is a game ruining issue I'm not so keen. What do you reckon?

[westy8chimp]

53 minutes ago, enders357 said:

Hi all. Can I ask about this issue with German based German players not being interested in moving to another German club - how badly is it affecting your saves? I really want to play as Dortmund and was hoping to get started this weekend, but if this is a game ruining issue I'm not so keen. What do you reckon?

same - I always try to buy 90% + players from home nationality in the aim of the national side having at least 8 of my players in the first 11 ... so I would be after the likes of Draxler, Meyler (unlikely from rival), sane, sule, tah, goretzka (unlikely from rival), brandt, werner, gnabry  

is it truly a bug? what happens.. you offer contract and then they always reject, or it doesn't allow you to offer contract?

[Michael Zorc]

2 hours ago, enders357 said:

Hi all. Can I ask about this issue with German based German players not being interested in moving to another German club - how badly is it affecting your saves? I really want to play as Dortmund and was hoping to get started this weekend, but if this is a game ruining issue I'm not so keen. What do you reckon?

It's wrecked the game for me. Such a shame.

I also have issues with the match engine (combination of wingers not staying wide, no way of creating "false fullbacks" from DL/R or WBL/R, inability to get a ball-playing defender to move forward in possession, lack of options to get a central midfielder to drop to the side of a centre back and play as a situational "false fullback" when you want them to do so, a serious lack of varied and more complex pressing instructions, and just no new tactical tools added since FM16 making the game stale) so I've uninstalled FM17 and am waiting for FM18.

With a squad like Dortmund's, I feel this match engine is far too rigid and inflexible to allow managers the opportunity to get the best out of this team. It's a tragedy.

I'll be back next year. Hopefully things will have improved by then.

[RandomGuy.]

5 hours ago, enders357 said:

Hi all. Can I ask about this issue with German based German players not being interested in moving to another German club - how badly is it affecting your saves? I really want to play as Dortmund and was hoping to get started this weekend, but if this is a game ruining issue I'm not so keen. What do you reckon?

99% of them aren't interested, so you never get to speak to them.

You can sign Timo Horn, and for some reason Gnabry is happy to talk to me though, theres also another two or three who are constantly brought up in Scout reports who'd be able to join aswell.

Its a bit annoying, I started the save with the intention of bringing through my own youth and then poaching the best performing young players from teams lower down the Bundesliga. Obviously I can't do this so you're forced to look abroad all the time, which is a bit poor as theres not many Germans outwith Germany who are keen on signing. I think Rudiger is the only one I've brought in.