Borussia Dortmund lose 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur. After being sent off, BVB were outnumbered for over an hour. Dortmund sports director Kehl and expert Zubi criticize the decision.
21.01.2026, 08:55
21.01.2026, 08:59
dpa
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- After an early sending-off, Dortmund are beaten 2-0 away at Tottenham.
- The red card after VAR intervention against Daniel Svensson triggers discussions. BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl criticizes the decision, as does blue Sport expert Pascal Zuberbühler.
- Marcel Reif assesses the scene somewhat differently and says: "If he hits him the wrong way, he might break his leg."
After Borussia Dortmund's Champions League defeat at Tottenham Hotspur, sporting director Sebastian Kehl was critical of the sending off of Daniel Svensson in the first half. "I think the red card is very harsh," he said after the game in London, which BVB lost 2-0.
"For me, there is no intention"
Svensson had initially seen a yellow card, but after VAR intervention the referee corrected the decision and showed the Swede red in the 25th minute. "In the end, he hits the ball first and yes, there is contact on the calf," admitted Kehl. "If you look at it on a still image, then you can say it's a red card. But for me, this action lacks any intention, any intensity. That's why the red card wasn't right for me."
Blue Sport expert Pascal Zuberbühler takes a similar view: "I'm annoyed by the final image. He plays the ball away and has his leg up, the opponent takes a step - I'm not a fan of these final images." The sending off is justifiable. "But he wanted to play the ball and then has his leg there," says Zubi.
Marcel Reif, on the other hand, had a slightly different opinion: "The shot at the end is such that if he hits it the wrong way, it might break his leg. No matter how you go for the ball - if you end up like that, it's dangerous for the opponent."
"The first half was bad"
BVB sporting director Kehl is also unhappy with his team's performance. "We didn't get into the game well," he said. "We will certainly discuss this very critically with the team. The first half was poor - we didn't fight many duels, didn't win many direct duels and didn't show much intensity. And we carelessly squandered the chances we had today in the first half."
Cristian Romero (14th minute) and Dominic Solanke (37th) scored in the first half for Spurs, who have been in crisis for weeks and celebrated their first win of the year against Dortmund. The defeat could have been avoided, said Kehl. "Because we didn't play against a Tottenham team that is in outstanding form and bursting with confidence. We were hoping for and expecting much more here."
Ahead of the final match of the league phase next week against Inter Milan, there are many indications that BVB will have to take a detour via the play-offs to reach the round of 16. "That might not be enough for the top eight," Kehl also realized.
