Borussia Dortmund's Strong Start: Ricken's Comments on Bayern and Sancho's Absence
Borussia Dortmund have opened the season perfectly, and the table already carries a little sting for Bayern Munich. Lars Ricken is not pretending otherwise.
Ricken enjoys the view above Bayern
Dortmund’s sporting managing director stressed respect between the clubs, but with BVB two points clear of the serial champions, he allowed himself a small dig.
“There is a very respectful relationship between the two clubs. Nevertheless, in recent years we have not given Bayern the feeling that a declaration of intent had to go out to them either,” the 50-year-old told Bild.
This time, though, the standings speak for themselves. Bayern are looking up at Dortmund, and Ricken is happy to let that situation simmer.
He admitted he hopes the record champions are “a little annoyed” by the early picture. “We know the table and they are currently not where they think they belong. If that feeling prevails, I would be pleased.”
No big declarations. No title slogans. Just the quiet satisfaction of a club that, for once, has started faster than the team that usually dictates the pace.
Elversberg coach with a black-and-yellow heart
In another corner of the Bundesliga, BVB’s pull is being felt on a different level.
SV Elversberg head coach Vincent Wagner is currently one of the stories of the season with the promoted side, yet his footballing heart has long belonged to Dortmund. He told Bild he has been a BVB fan since the 1995/96 campaign.
“Now I have to watch what I say. I have been a Borussia Dortmund fan since the 1995/1996 season,” Wagner admitted, before making clear he is not daydreaming about the Signal Iduna Park dugout. “At the moment I still lack the imagination to one day be standing there on the touchline. I am happy at SV Elversberg and glad that I am allowed to be a Bundesliga coach - because I love my job.”
His coaching blueprint borrows from two of the game’s defining figures. Wagner wants his teams to play “in a holistic way,” combining “the intensity and passion of Klopp” with “the tactical understanding and meticulousness of Pep Guardiola.” It is a demanding mix, and one that underlines just how far Dortmund’s influence stretches across the league.
Kaba back on the pitch after growth-related layoff
Closer to home, BVB had a quieter but no less important success story. Seventeen-year-old midfielder Mussa Kaba celebrated his comeback after half a year out.
The youngster went straight into the starting XI for Dortmund’s reserves in their 3–2 win over Rödinghausen, playing the first half and finally shaking off months of frustration. Physical growth spurts and the resulting muscle problems had sidelined him since March, prompting the club to opt for a very cautious build-up.
Now, alongside Enzo Duarte, who has also recently returned from injury, Kaba is finally getting competitive minutes with the U23s. Coach Daniel Rios underlined that the priority remains clear: “Now it is about Mussa and Enzo getting minutes and getting into rhythm. There is always coordination with the professional department.”
For a club that lives off its pathway from youth to first team, every step back onto the pitch from a 17-year-old talent is a small investment in the future.
Why Sancho stayed away this time
While one youngster returns, another familiar name will not be coming back. Speculation over a second reunion with Jadon Sancho had swirled for weeks. Ricken has now spelled out why Dortmund ultimately said no.
“To a certain extent it was important to me to bring in new faces, new stories, new figures for identification,” he explained. The club wanted to turn the page, not reopen an old chapter.
Sancho’s stature was central to the decision. For a player of his category, a reserve role would have been almost impossible to justify. “Jadon has that kind of force,” Ricken said. Even with reduced minutes, the Englishman’s presence would have dominated the narrative. The BVB chief feared that “Jadon would be our only topic.”
That would have had a knock-on effect across the squad. “As a consequence, you would then have to look: do you sell a Fabio Silva?” Ricken pointed out. Planned signings could have stalled as well: “Can you then only bring in Karetsas and not Konstantelias?”
The club’s own academy products would also have paid the price. Ricken name-checked two of them directly: “We have young players like Inacio or Mathis Albert. Do you then have to sell or loan them out?”
In the end, Dortmund chose the harder, more disciplined route: no Sancho, no short-term star fix, no disruption of the development ladder. “These are decisions we make,” Ricken concluded.
BVB sit above Bayern, a rival coach openly supports them, a 17-year-old is back chasing his dream, and the club has turned down a marquee return to protect its future. If this is a new Dortmund story, how long can they keep writing it at the top of the table?
