Robert Lewandowski almost played for Blackburn Rovers, and if the move had been successful, Borussia Dortmund would have had a hard time achieving the success they did, given Lewy’s immense contribution. Klopp’s time was also one of the best in the club’s history until he left.
It is safe to say that Borussia Dortmund has not been the same since Jurgen Klopp left, with several inconsistent performances. The 2022-23 season was considered to be their big break, as they were somewhat fans’ favorites for the title; however, they missed out on the Bundesliga only on goal differences.
Icelandic volcano eruption helps Dortmund’s Bundesliga quest
Robert Lewandowski was very instrumental to Borrusia Dortmund’s achievements while he was there. At Dortmund, Lewandowski played 187 matches and scored 103 goals. However, all of these would not have been possible if he completed a move to Blackburn Rovers in the 2009/2010 season.
Prior to joining the German side, Robert Lewandowski was on the verge of signing with the historic English club Blackburn Rovers. The Polish striker was set to travel to England to visit the team’s facilities, but the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull disrupted air traffic in Europe for several weeks, halting his plans.
🇵🇱🔵 Robert Lewandowski: “I had the opportunity to join Blackburn Rovers… but I wanted to see how Blackburn looked, the training ground."
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) November 17, 2023
"I met with Sam Allardyce. It was in Poland after a game. I thought he was a good guy, a very good coach."
"Allardyce was prepared to… pic.twitter.com/Nsjib8XrK5
Due to the volcanic eruption and subsequent travel disruption, Robert Lewandowski missed the opportunity to tour Blackburn Rovers’ facilities. Reflecting on the situation, he has remarked, “Did that change my life? Without a doubt, maybe if I had met Blackburn I would have stayed there.”
BVB’s meager success after Jurgen Klopp’s departure
Jurgen Klopp enjoyed seven successful years with Borussia Dortmund, securing two Bundesliga titles and leading the team to a Champions League final. In contrast, Thomas Tuchel had a two-season stint at Dortmund, winning the DFB-Pokal, and later achieved Champions League glory with Chelsea.
In preparation for the 2017–18 season, Thomas Tuchel resigned from his managerial position at Borussia Dortmund. The club appointed Peter Bosz as the new manager and head coach. Despite a record-breaking start with victories in the team’s first seven games, Bosz faced a challenging period with 20 subsequent games without a win, leading to his dismissal from the role.
Following Peter Bosz’s departure, Peter Stöger assumed the coaching responsibilities at Borussia Dortmund for the remainder of the season. Under Stöger’s guidance, Dortmund secured a fourth-place finish in the Bundesliga before he stepped down at the conclusion of the season.
Their shaky performance continued into the 2019-2020 season, where they were eliminated in both the DFB-Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. Everyone expected that Dortmund finally had a go at the Bundesliga, but at the nick of time, they gave it up again carelessly to Bayern Munich. In his latest book, Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke expressed the belief that parting ways with Jurgen Klopp was a significant mistake for the club.
“It might have been a mistake,” he insists again in an interview. “Maybe it would have been better if we had changed the whole team instead of firing the coach because there are so many good players but not many great coaches. People are always wise after the event.”
Dortmund are currently 5th on the table, after 11 matches played, do they stand a chance of winning the Bundesliga?, leave a comment in the comment section.
