In Borussia Dortmund's 4-1 defeat in Bergamo, Gregor Kobel made a momentous mistake shortly before the end. Nevertheless, the Swiss goalkeeper does not hear any reproaches from his own ranks.
26.02.2026, 08:10
26.02.2026, 08:18
SDA
Gregor Kobel didn't even look for excuses for his bad mistake, which led to Borussia Dortmund's bitter exit from the Champions League round of 16. "It's bitter. Football can be very tough. I made the wrong decision at that moment and I'll take the blame for it," said Kobel after the Bundesliga runners-up's 4-1 defeat at Atalanta Bergamo. "I'm sorry for the boys."
Stoppage time was almost over when Kobel made a devastating mistake far outside his own penalty area. This resulted in the penalty for Bergamo, which led to the decisive 4:1 for the Italians. "It was my mistake. I wanted to punch it away, but the ball wasn't in the right place to hit it cleanly. But in the end, of course, you have to clear the ball, no matter how. It's super tough for the team," said Kobel.
No recriminations
There were no public accusations against the 28-year-old. "Greg is a very important part of the team and has already saved us many games. He knows himself that he made the wrong decision and has apologized," said BVB coach Niko Kovac.
Sporting director Sebastian Kehl also did not want to wash Kobel's head for the momentous mistake. "I think he knows that he has to make a better decision in this situation," said the ex-professional. And captain Emre Can reiterated: "There is definitely no blame."
Kobel himself did not want to dwell on his faux pas for long. After all, the Bundesliga classic against league leaders Bayern Munich is coming up on Saturday. "Now it's time to wipe our mouths and move on. We have a great game ahead of us. We have to bring our full energy onto the pitch," said the BVB keeper.
