Marin Pongracic has his sights trained on regular first-team minutes at the heart of the Borussia Dortmund defence. - © DFL
Marin Pongracic has his sights trained on regular first-team minutes at the heart of the Borussia Dortmund defence. - © DFL
bundesliga

Marin Pongracic "not intimidated" by Borussia Dortmund challenge

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Borussia Dortmund centre-back Marin Pongracic is confident of rising to the challenge at his new club after being reunited with coach Marco Rose.

Pongracic signed for Dortmund on loan from Wolfsburg at the end of August, and he has featured in their three most recent wins in both the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League.

The Croatia international worked under Dortmund head coach Rose while the pair were at Salzburg in Austria, and he was delighted to hear from him again.

"For me the switch was also a surprise," he told kicker of his move, which came just before the summer transfer window closed.

"Things went very quickly in the last two or three days of the transfer window. Marco Rose played a very big role in it. He really wanted me there. We spoke on the phone and chatted for 10 or 15 minutes. It was a good conversation."

Rose has tipped Pongracic to "fulfil his potential" at Dortmund, and the 24-year-old is confident he can make the most of his chance.

"I obviously want to play as many games as possible and for my game to become even more mature," he said.

"At such a level and with such quality in the team, I want to give as good an account of myself as possible."

The former 1860 Munich player featured only 10 times for Wolfsburg last season after joining from Salzburg in 2020, and he is determined to prove any doubters wrong.

Watch: Marin Pongracic scored a rare brace in his debut Bundesliga season

"It's a huge club with a great team," he said of Dortmund. "I have the necessary respect for the job at hand, but I'm not intimidated and I don't want to hide. I want to develop myself further."

Pongracic and Dortmund are next in action away to Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday.