There is no stopping this man: Erling Haaland immediately starts again with a peat festival. While the young Norwegian mimes the solo entertainer in the fan curve, his bosses clarify something about the future.
Goal phenomenon Erling Haaland could not be stopped even after the final whistle. The BVB super striker hopped up and down for minutes in front of the fans who had traveled with him, and the completely relaxed dance of the outstanding three-time goalscorer in front of the reoccupied corner rounded off a successful start to the cup season for defending champion Borussia Dortmund. And the clear signal immediately followed from the executive suite: We are not handing this man over! “Which scenario should come? We have clearly defined ourselves,” said Dortmund’s licensed player boss Sebastian Kehl after the safe 3-0 win at third division SV Wehen Wiesbaden.
But Haaland is courted, no question about it. On Sunday, Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic said in the Sport1 “double pass” that the German record champions are also looking very closely: “This is a top player that the whole world wants – probably.”
The numbers speak for themselves: The Norwegian has played 60 competitive games for Dortmund, scoring a whopping 60 goals. And that at just 21 years of age. “He has unbelievable power and impact. He’s now on a different level when it comes to playing. He’s got used to big leagues,” said the new head coach Marco Rose, who made his competitive debut. Rose and Haaland had already worked together for six months in Salzburg in 2019. At that time, the brawny blond was still a huge promise, now he is Dortmund’s life insurance company for further title ambitions.
Kehl: “It’s good that we have him”
“I think he went step by step. He started in Salzburg, in a smaller league. He struck in Dortmund, so he followed a steady path in his development,” said Rose. What makes the exceptional athlete so dangerous: He is never satisfied. When the score was 3-0, Rose refrained from replacing his top scorer early. “He’s very ambitious, always hungry for goals. It’s good that we have him,” said Kehl.
Haaland’s contract – probably with an early exit clause – is fixed until June 30, 2024, and its market value has long exceeded the EUR 100 million mark. These are numbers that probably do not play a decisive role for coach Rose. He wants to build his flexible systems, including the midfield diamond practiced on Saturday, around target player Haaland and could already put Dutch newcomer Donyell Malen at his side for the Bundesliga start against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday (6.30 p.m. / Sky).
Rose’s words sounded almost like a threat after Haaland’s outstanding performance: “He knows that we can still develop a few things.” The bar is extremely high. Last year, the striker scored 27 times in 28 Bundesliga games and was also the top scorer in the Champions League with ten more goals.
Erling Haaland: “The season has started”
“You always forget that he is still so young. He gives us so many opportunities, especially with his speed. That is incredibly important,” said captain Marco Reus, who joined Giovanni Reyna and Malen after the departure of Jadon Sancho belongs to the most important combination partners in the dynamic BVB offensive.
Haaland himself said goodbye to the cabin on a mild summer evening as one of the last. In the stands, the “Erling, Erling” calls did not want to end long after the final whistle. Haaland grinned, showed his thumbs up and later sent a greeting with a flashing smiley on social media: “The season has started.” It was a message in bold and capital letters.

I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.