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'I could puke' New coaches arouse excitement in bid to save Dortmund
Posted: Friday April 14, 2000 06:07 PM
DORTMUND, Germany (AP) -- A media frenzy surrounded the first day of training Friday for Udo Lattek and Matthias Sammer, hired to save 1997 Champions League winner Borussia Dortmund from demotion. The 65-year-old Lattek, whose 14 titles is a record for a German coach, was wooed out of retirement after seven years to replace Bernd Krauss -- fired Thursday after failing to win in 13 matches. But there were even more cameras trained on Sammer, the star of the Champions Cup side and perhaps Germany's best player of the '90s. The fiery redhead is still hoping to come back from several knee operations. "Sammer has unbelievable ambition and I hope it will carry over to the team," said Dortmund striker Fredi Bobic. Sammer, renown for his leadership and on-field intelligence, turned down the top job as well as several other Bundesliga offers because of hopes of playing again. But he will join Lattek's coaching staff. "That's one reason I agreed to take the job," said Lattek, who has spent recent years writing columns and doing television work after guiding Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona. "I'm going to try to help Udo Lattek, so that tomorrow we'll play successful soccer again. All distractions should end now -- there's a lot to do," said Sammer, Europe's 1996 player-of-the-year. Lattek and Sammer will have to resurrect a dispirited team before its next match Saturday against MSV Duisburg. One of the league's highest-priced ensembles has tumbled into 13th place and is just three points clear of relegation with five rounds left. Krauss failed to record a single win after he was hired in midseason to replace Michael Skibbe, who had led the side into sixth in the table. That placing was already disappointing to the club's management after shelling out a Bundesliga record 55 million marks (US$27 million) on new players this season. Lattek said the problem must be in the player's heads, since the club is on paper one of Germany's best. "First I'm going to have to see what condition the team is in," said Lattek. "Every player has a different blockade in his head. One you have to flatter, the other kick in the butt, and some comprehend after just a few words." Krauss' fate was sealed with Tuesday's 3-1 loss at home to tiny Unterhaching, a club of no-names and with a fraction of Dortmund's budget. "The loss hurts more than any in my career. I could puke, but that won't help," said veteran defender Juergen Kohler. Various reasons have been cited for the club's downfall after upsetting Juventus Turin in the Champions Cup final three years ago. Some say the wrong players were bought without a concept, with Nigerian striker Victor Ikpeba proving to be the biggest washout this season. But Dortmund also clearly couldn't overcome the double loss of Sammer to injuries and the resignation of coach Ottmar Hitzfeld after the 1997 season. Hitzfeld, who guided Dortmund out of Bundesliga mediocrity, proved his worth as a coach by moving to Bayern Munich and leading his new side to the Champions Cup final his first season. Lattek will coach Dortmund for the second time after jumping to FC Barcelona in 1981 just three days after promising the club's fans he wouldn't leave. "I owe something to this club," said Lattek.
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