What is Borussia Dortmund missing to win the championship?

After a short break, Borussia Dortmund entered the new season with championship goals. But is it possible that one of the main reasons preventing them from beating Bayern Munich is the mental problem?

After eight consecutive seasons in which Bayern won the championship and with last season’s treble with Hansi Flick, German football has questions to solve.

It’s probably not the most painful problem, but one of the questions is how to make the tournament more competitive. Given the current situation and the ambitions expressed by the candidates, it is widely believed that the responsibility for breaking Bayern’s dominance lies with Borussia Dortmund. But what does this team have to do to win?

The statement that came out at the end of last season that did not hide his intention to win the title is an acknowledgment. Within the team he believed he was good enough to achieve something. With players like Erling Haaland, Jadon Sancho and Axel Witsel, they spent the Bundesliga season scoring the most goals (84) and winning 21 of 34 league games.

However, Bayern Munich is always better, scoring 16 more goals and winning more than 5 games. Although there are reasons for the disparity between Dortmund and Bayern, one of them has come up so many times in recent seasons and should have been overcome.

Marco Reus may not like this, but the mental problem reappeared on the last day of the 2019-2020 season. Goalless Dortmund lost 0-4 at home to TSG Hoffenheim. In the match at the same time, Bayern also have nothing to fight for, beating Wolfsburg 4-0. The question of Dortmund’s competitive spirit returned to the press.

Language is the key

But what is the spirit? Everyone has their own opinion. It has recently become a buzzword used in defense of a poorly performing team or coach. By the simple definition, it is psychological power, but it is commonly used to mean that you will win at all costs. The term remains broad and ambiguous, and it is personal to the people who use it. Dr. Thorsten Leber, the sports psychologist, has a clearer definition.

“The spirit, as I understand it, is more sustainable, showing itself consistently throughout the different games of the season,” Leber, who has worked with football clubs, told DW, “If you change or want to improve the spirit will more or less be related to the culture of the team, the culture of the club ”.

If psychology is related to the culture of the club, what is the culture of Borussia Dortmund today? Since the departure of Juergen Klopp, Dortmund have had trouble clearly answering this question. Not only did Klopp use the term ‘spirit’ regularly, he also brought it to life, using the phrase ‘monster mentality’ on his own Liverpool team. Dortmund left behind this concept, which they once loved, after failing to find the right person to fulfill. Words without action make the spirit of Dortmund today unclear.

“Then came terms like determination, motivation and discipline. They are great words, but the key is to break these abstract terms down into specific behaviors on the soccer field. For example, how can I know if a player is disciplined and how can I, as a coach, give immediate feedback? ”Leber continued, adding that it was necessary to respond. this approach is often effective.

Dortmund can talk about discipline, focus and motivation, but all the professional sports teams in the world do the same. Their motto Echte Liebe (true love), rooted in the working class and associated with partisan culture, is what sets them apart; however, this does not translate into tangible psychology.

‘The spirit cannot decide’

According to Leber, the spirit of a team must come from within.

“The team of players leading the team or all the players should spend half a day discussing: what does the will to win mean to them?”, “With this job, you are among the few. The player joined from the beginning, instead of receiving a warning from his superiors, which I think will not work. “

“The spirit is something that others cannot decide. I have to want it first. Mindset has to become an internal part of the mind, and this is only achieved when I convey it to the player as soon as possible. I have to give them the feeling that the spirit that is created is theirs, not required by the coach. This also requires that the coaches are always ready to listen to the suggestions of the players.

If players are able to identify their identity and mentally discern, they will not only run across the field when asked, but they will do so because developing an individual is also developing a team, a team. football team.

“You don’t allow yourself to be interrupted, it’s constantly evaluated and discussed,” says Leber, “it takes a lot of time and nervousness, especially in the beginning, until all the people are. They’re in the same boat.”

However, to create this, teams must be absolutely honest and prepared for the possibility of internal damage. Above all, they must be confident.

“Technical terminology,” Leber said [cho sự tự tin] it is the consciousness of one’s own efficacy or capacity. And that also means believing in your own abilities. ”

“That’s the point. I think if a team has confidence and can develop it, all the other problems that we have discussed will be absorbed and improved.”

Leber believes that there are two ways to build confidence. First of all, the team as a whole experiments to overcome obstacles such as group games, difficult training sessions, friendly matches. The key to success is that coaches must motivate everyone to contribute to the collective experience. Second, the coach’s communication. They must keep the team as strong as possible and develop a style that allows mistakes and risk taking.

Judging from the beauty the team often displays, it seems Lucien Favre has long taken such a risky approach. However, like every other coach after Klopp Dortmund, he was unable to convey his mind clearly to the entire team on the pitch.

For some BVB players this could be the last chance to win the championship together, maybe even the last dance of Marco Reus getting old, the bond could be a factor. still missing in Dortmund’s title quest.