After the cup tie in Stuttgart, head coach Edin Terzic, sporting director Sebastian Kehl and players Emre Can and Gregor Kobel spoke about the game. The match reactions.
Edin Terzic (to ZDF): “We made far too many mistakes and lost the ball in areas in which we must not lose it. That caused our displeasure and sense of uncertainty to grow. We only had a short spell around the 60th minute – shortly before and after the offside goal – in which we were aggressive and could develop pressure. That was not enough. We wanted to reach the final in Berlin; we didn’t manage that. We weren’t able to show anything like what we had envisaged. We have the next tough match ahead of us in three days.”
Sebastian Kehl (in the mixed zone): “There was a tactical adjustment today that worked in many areas. We wanted to push through into midfield from the back five and counter with a stable compactness. The losses of possession have nothing to do with tactics. There was not enough football in possession. We need to get the boys’ confidence back. We still have important matches and still have ambitions before the Christmas period. We need to produce a better performance against Leipzig in order to compete.”
Gregor Kobel (in the mixed zone): “We were the worse team on and off the ball. Stuttgart had more of the play, had more chances and deserved to win. We are not active enough and less sharp than Stuttgart or Leverkusen. We need to perform more dominantly as Borussia Dortmund! It’s unbelievably painful that we’ve missed another great opportunity this year because so many good Bundesliga teams are out. It’s the shortest route to winning a trophy. The fact that we’ve let it slip out of our hands like this is really frustrating. If you consider the situation in the Bundesliga table, it’s extremely important that we get points on Saturday. We need to make sure that we do not lose touch and that we get into the Champions League!”
Emre Can (to ZDF): “We were lacking at the front and the back. We were not strong enough in the challenges. It was a catastrophe on a footballing level. It cannot continue like this. We’re Dortmund, there needs to be more. It’s about the footballing aspect and finding solutions. And the pressing was very, very bad. We need to have more intensity in our play. That must come from the team and from each individual. The season is still long, we will not give up, we will keep going.”
