Marco Reus: “Borussia Dortmund will leave no stone unturned next season”
Borussia Dortmund superstar Marco Reus says Die Schwarzgelben “can’t continue like this next season” after his team squeaked into the UEFA Champions League with a fourth-place finish following their final-day defeat to Hoffenheim.
It has been a tumultuous campaign at the Signal Iduna Park. BVB led the Bundesliga standings for the first nine matchdays under Peter Bosz, but the wheels came off for the Dutchman, who was relieved of his duties in December after dropping 21 of a possible 24 subsequent points.
Watch: Reus: "It can't continue like this"
Former Cologne coach Peter Stöger was brought in to steady the ship – something he ultimately managed – but BVB’s 3-1 defeat to Hoffenheim on the final day meant that the club only edged fifth-place Bayer Leverkusen on goal-difference.
Want more Bundesliga Action?
Dortmund’s season wasn’t helped by injury to their talisman Reus, who returned from a torn cruciate ligament in February before plundering seven goals in just 11 Bundesliga games. Now back to his best, the 28-year-old attacker wants his side to mount a greater challenge to Bayern Munich’s dominance next season.
“We can only say that we were lucky when it comes to qualifying for the Champions League,” Reus told bundesliga.com following the game at the Wirsol Rhein-Neckar-Arena. “I’ve already said that we - including all the staff - will leave no stone unturned and will have to prepare ourselves differently. We can’t continue like this next season.”
Changes are already afoot in North Rhine-Westphalia, with Stöger announcing his departure at the post-match press conference. His successor is yet to be announced, but for a club who were European champions in 1997 and finalists as recently as 2013, Dortmund will expect a smoother ride next season.