Lars Ricken urges: Don’t leave fourth place till the last matchday | OneFootball

With the 3-0 victory against 1. FC Union Berlin, Borussia Dortmund secured their first win of the season after the disappointing 3-3 draw at the start against FC St. Pauli. They also improved their performance compared to the matches at the Millerntor and in the first round of the DFB-Pokal against Rot-Weiss Essen (1-0). BVB enters the international break in fourth place on the table, which would achieve the minimum goal of Champions League qualification by the end of the season.

Managing Director Lars Ricken made it clear to "Bild" that it should not be another last-minute qualification for the Champions League: "I clearly state that I do not want to be in fourth place only on the last matchday again," said the 49-year-old, who, after the win against Union Berlin, immediately demands the next victory: "Our goal is to establish ourselves in the top group from the start, which is why we absolutely have to win in Heidenheim."

Ricken hopes for continuity with Niko Kovac

Beyond the upcoming games, Ricken demands from the team and the sports management that the right balance between entertaining performances and the right results is found: "People want to see us give our all, fight, and work hard, but on the other hand, also provide spectacle. BVB should be enjoyable, and then we will also be successful in sports."

Ricken sees the collaboration with coach Niko Kovac as an important building block on the path to long-term success, who should ideally stay longer than his predecessors Edin Terzic and Nuri Sahin: "Continuity in the coaching position can be a recipe for success. We are giving Niko the support to develop his ideas in the long term. And I see an advantage over some other clubs in having a coach who has proven himself."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.