Bundesliga
“Me? Go to Bayern? Never!” - Reus
Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus has underscored his commitment to the cause ahead of his side’s Rückrunde opener against RB Leipzig.
In an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the 29-year old emphatically closed the door on any suggestion of him joining arch-rivals Bayern Munich. “Me? Go to Bayern? Never!” he said.
Finally looking to be past the injury troubles that have plagued recent seasons, the Dortmund attacker has already racked up 11 goals and six assists in 17 league appearances and stood out as the man of the Hinrunde. Reus has previously heaped praise on coach Lucien Favre and says that he is “completely satisfied with how things are going, both on and off the pitch.”
If it seems self-evident that a player enjoying his football, in the form of his life, would not want to leave the league leaders, it’s worth remembering that Dortmund fans have seen some of their favourite players head to Bavaria. Within two years of their last league triumph in 2012, striker Robert Lewandowksi and World Cup-winning goalscorer Mario Götze had both swapped black and yellow for red. Götze would return to Dortmund after three seasons in Munich, admitting that he regretted his decision to leave.
Reus, who was born and raised in Dortmund and played much of his youth football for BVB, doesn’t seem tempted to follow that path. “As a local boy, to win it with Dortmund would be so nice, amazing, a dream!” Beyond his desire to bring the title to his hometown, BVB’s No. 11 sees another reason why a move to Munich will never happen: “I’m nearly 30, and they want to change their age structure, too.”
Now in his seventh year with the club, Reus has so far lifted the 2017 DFB Cup and a pair of DFL Super Cups during his time at the Signal Iduna Park. With his club sitting three points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand, Reus will lead his team out against Leipzig to resume their title tilt from a strong position. The BVB captain will be hoping that the end of Dortmund’s championship drought is just 17 matches away.
Whoever is crowned 2019 Bundesliga champions, Reus in a crimson shirt is not a sight anyone can look forward to. “You’ll never see me at Bayern. This I promise you.”