Football Season Guide

Borussia Dortmund had an unsettled season in 2016/2017. Between rumours of star players leaving and backroom issues with head coach Thomas Tuchel, who was eventually sacked, the squad were also at the centre of a bomb attack on the team bus. The Dortmund board have somewhat hit the refresh button this season with a new coach joining and a much lower turnover of players than in recent seasons. Dortmund will be looking to continue bedding down some of the younger members of the squad while also aiming for more consistency than last term. Peter Bosz is the man that Dortmund have chosen to take over the reins this season after he guided Ajax to the Europa League final last term. He has a reputation for working well with younger players and that seems to fit Dortmund’s profile at the moment. Former German Under-21 player Maximilian Philipp has been added to the squad along with highly rated central midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud. Omer Toprak brings a bit more experience with him joining from Bayer Leverkusen but he looks likely to be a rotation option behind Sokratis and Marc Bartra. Bosz will also have to be conscious of trying to get the most out of some under-performers from last year. Mario Götze and Andre Schürrle are both players with plenty to prove after injury and form problems last season. Of the players to leave, only Matthias Ginter and Sven Bender will be losses but both wanted more regular first team football than Dortmund could offer. Overall the squad has depth in every position as is expected from a side who are used to fighting on three fronts every season. The fact that striker and top scorer last season, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, has decided to extend his stay in Dortmund is also a massive boost. However, some clouds are on the horizon with the new season approaching. The transfer saga surrounding Ousmane Dembele has engulfed the squad and a super cup defeat to Bayern was also a blow so the new coaching staff have plenty to prove ahead of a big season.