The Return of the BVB Spirit — Thanks to Lars Ricken & Ole Book, with Guerreiro & Sancho on the Horizon?
The BVB Spirit — Thanks to Lars Ricken & Ole Book
I genuinely think Borussia Dortmund should offer Raphaël Guerreiro a two-year contract. He is available on a free transfer, and I think he could be perfect for that hybrid role on the left, contributing defensively while giving us his incredible technique, ball security and experience.
I have the feeling that, with all due respect to Bensebaini, our football has suffered quite a lot since Guerreiro was replaced.
I also think Guerreiro could complement Konstantelias extremely well. As far as I remember, Guerreiro never actually wanted to leave Dortmund, but Kehl had other ideas. I also remember an interview with Sancho and Haaland where they were asked who the best footballer in the team was after training — and I believe they both named Guerreiro.
What always bothered me was that he never really received the farewell he deserved. The club wanted to do everything “the usual way” and nothing special, even though players had traditionally been given their farewell on the final matchday. It felt contradictory, but unfortunately, that was very much the Dortmund of the pre-Ricken era.
I think Konstantelias might need a few weeks to properly settle in. It is his first permanent move away from Greece, after all. But honestly, what Lars Ricken and Ole Book have already managed to do is incredible.
They have reignited something in the fanbase: passion, excitement and belief.
Because Dortmund has always been at its best when we have technically gifted footballers who make the BVB heart beat faster. Amoroso. Chapuisat. Dede. Rosicky. Götze. Sancho. Guerreiro.
That is the kind of footballing identity I associate with Borussia Dortmund.
And Guerreiro is available on a free transfer. I genuinely believe he would put himself completely at the service of the team and wouldn’t cause problems if he occasionally had to start from the bench. At the same time, I still believe he could play an important role and has at least two really good seasons left in him.
Ricken and Book deserve an enormous amount of credit. They seem to put their egos aside and put the club first. You can see it in the way they work: quietly, professionally, without constant information leaking to the media.
Ricken has brought in a new head analyst and even recruited a highly regarded pitch specialist from England. It feels like he genuinely wants to improve Dortmund structurally, take responsibility and build something sustainable.
For me, this finally feels different from the transfer philosophy of recent years. Too often, we signed players who might have generated short-term applause but didn’t really fit Dortmund’s identity or footballing philosophy. Some were technically limited, some received contracts that were far too long, and too much money was spent on players whose ceiling simply wasn’t high enough.
I don’t want to end on a negative note, though.
I’m genuinely very, very excited for this season.
And I’d absolutely love to see Guerreiro and Sancho return on free transfers, because I believe both could bring exactly what this squad needs: quality, experience and a connection to what Dortmund is supposed to be.
And let’s not forget: when Sancho was on loan with us, he was Man of the Match in several Champions League games. His quality, together with Sven Bender’s integration into the team, was, in my opinion, a decisive factor in our run to the Champions League final.
I’m simply incredibly excited to see where Ricken, Book and this new Dortmund can take us.
The spirit is back. The fire is back. 🖤💛