SWITZERLAND: Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke (pix) has dismissed the possibility of Jadon Sancho leaving the club this close season, telling dpa it is “carved in stone” that he will stay.
Sporting director Michael Zorc had already made the same point Monday at the team training camp in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, which did not stop English media speculating the winger could yet move to Manchester United.
“There is absolutely zero room for interpretation there,” Watzke insisted and dismissed concern the player may react badly to being denied a move – like previous Dortmund stars Ousmane Dembele or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
“We had a good exchange with his agent,” Watzke said. “We recognize that Jadon has reacted very well. And he recognizes that we have a good team where you have a lot of fun playing football.”
The 20-year-old Sancho staying does, however, mean that Dortmund's incoming transfer business is also complete in a window notable for less comings and goings than usual.
Achraf Hakimi is the only first team regular to have departed, to Inter Milan, while defender Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain) and winger Jude Bellingham (Birmingham City) join the squad along with youth promotion Youssoufa Moukoko.
“As of now there is no more money for transfer fees there,” said Watzke. “If in every game without fans you lose €4 million (RM20m), you do not have to be a prophet to figure which way it is going.
“There is definitely no more big leaps to be made,” Watzke said, citing the coronavirus crisis which saw the last Bundesliga season completed behind closed doors. It is uncertain if or when supporters will return to stadiums next term.
Despite the rising infection rate in Germany and according political concerns, Watzke is convinced it may not take too long.
“I don’t see these signals so negatively,” he said. “(Bavarian Premier) Markus Soeder has said in the past week something which was not so correctly interpreted in my opinion.
“He has said that he can’t imagine a game in front of 20,000 or 25,000 people at the minute. I go along with that 100%.
But “5,000 or also 6,000, 7,000 spectators would in our stadium – from the processes and with hygiene and distance rules – no problem.
“I would rather have 5,000 than none.”
That number would hardly improve finances but Watze said that would happily be accepted “to give 5,000 people the opportunity to see live games again.”
Discussions are ongoing in the city of Dortmund “which event formats under which conditions could be possible again in the future, without prompting a clear rise in the infection risk,” said Frank Renken, leader of the local health authority, to Friday’s Bild paper.
Football, with protocols around closed door games, has shown itself to be an absolutely reliable partner, says Watzke. “Not a single Bundesliga professional has been infected in the many games to end last season,” he said. “We have kept the promise and built a basis of trust.”
In contrast to the end of last season, the new campaign will not include a strict household quarantine for players. That increases the risk a player could be infected and potentially threaten the season should games be postponed.
“The players are still in continuous testing,” said Watzke. “If there is a case, the relevant player can be isolated immediately. We have shown that this situation is manageable as well as possible.” – dpa
