7 Challenges to Set Yourself for a New Football Manager Save With Borussia Dortmund
By Ross Jackson
You would be forgiven for feeling a little worried as the world comes to grips with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
However, it seems a large portion of the population’s main concern is maintaining squad harmony and not upsetting their star striker.
I am of course referring to Football Manager.
What better way to pass the time in lockdown than this legendary game?
Here’s a series of challenges for you to try and achieve as boss of Borussia Dortmund, see how many you can smash.
Get the Band Back Together
Remember the season Dortmund reached the Champions League final and suddenly became everyone’s second favourite team?
Robert Lewandowski up top, Marco Reus and Jakub Błaszczykowski either side, Mario Götze in the hole, İlkay Gündoğan and Sven Bender pulling the strings (*wipes tear from cheek*).
The majority of the 2013 alumni have moved to pastures new, while a few have even left and since returned. See how you get on trying to get them all back to the Westfalenstadion. Some of them are well on their way to 40 and others have become the best striker in the world, so you may have a little more difficulty with some than others.
See Jadon Sancho Lift the Balon d’Or
There’s an air of inevitability around Dortmund at the moment that young starlet Jadon Sancho won’t be at the club next season.
Whether it’s Manchester United or Real Madrid, the England international appears to be coming to the end of his Dortmund career. However, the beauty of Football Manager is you can stop this from happening.
You’ll no doubt be inundated with offers for the 20-year-old, but see if you can convince the board to fend off the European giants and keep hold of the youngster long enough to see him crowned Balon d’Or winner at the club.
On his current trajectory, that shouldn't take long.
Match the 1997 Champions League Heroes
Dortmund’s 1997 Champions League win remains their only ever triumph in Europe’s premier competition.
It might be a little ambitious to suggest that you try to lure Paul Lambert out of retirement to inspire the German outfit once more, so just stick to trying to win it.
Make Erling Håland the Club's All-Time Record Goalscorer
The 19-year-old sensation scores goals in his sleep.
Dortmund’s current all-time record goals tally stands at 168, a target set by Alfred Preissler between 1951-1959.
Many hotshot forwards could have surpassed that record since then, such as Lewandowski and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but Dortmund seem to have trouble keeping hold of their prized assets.
Achieving the tally will most likely be the least of your worries, keeping hold of him long enough for him to do it will be the problem.
Give Bayern a Taste of Their Own Medicine
As brilliant a team as they are, Dortmund have almost become a feeder club for Bayern Munich of late.
Whether it’s Lewandowski, Götze or Mats Hümmels, Dortmund can’t have a brilliant player for long without Bayern coming knocking.
It’s payback time. Take the German champions to the cleaners. Buy as many of their star players as you possibly can. Chances are that by the time you can afford them and by the time Munich are willing to sell, they’ll all be old and rubbish anyway. But that’s not the point.
Retain the Title for 3 Consecutive Seasons
For all their history and silverware, continuous success has been something Die Borussen have never been able to achieve.
On three separate occasions they’ve retained their German title, but never have they won three in a row.
Have an All-German Squad
Dortmund are a proud club with a rich history. They’ve never even had a non-German captain.
But times are different, it’s a global game. Less than half the current squad are from the motherland, so do your best to create a throwback team. Build an all-German squad which goes on to win the German league.
It’s not like you won’t have plenty of decent players to choose from, the Germans are generally pretty good at producing decent players.