Club World Cup: Bellingham immediately challenged: High Dortmund claims

The greatest hopes rest on a 19-year-old. When Borussia Dortmund starts the club World Championship on Tuesday (6:00 p.m./DAZN and SAZN and SAT.1) against Fluminense Rio de Janeiro, Jobe Bellingham will be in the starting eleven – should not interfere with a short -term blessing.

There is not much familiarization period for the English teenager and brother of the former BVB professional Jude Bellingham. The Dortmund royal transfer of the previous summer was only made perfect in the past week.

“I immediately expect it to work from the first day,” said coach Niko Kovac before his team’s first appearance against the four -time Brazilian champion in East Rutherford near New York: “He doesn’t go along to look at America.” Jobe is supposed to follow in the footsteps of his big brother Jude Bellingham, who kicked in Dortmund by 2023, now played for Real Madrid and could meet his ex-club and brother in the quarterfinals.

“We want to survive at least the group phase and then see how far the tournament can wear,” said sports director Sebastian Kehl. Replacement captain Julian Brandt as a representative for the injured Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck added to the new FIFA tournament in the form: “You have to go there to want to win.”

Large BVB ambitions despite squad construction sites

High goals for BVB, whose squad in the form has long been considered not competitive in the form. At least not at the highest level. The Kovac, which was critical at the beginning of the environment, brought the Dortmund back on course and, in particular with a system change, still made the jump into the Champions League that was no longer considered possible. Before the club World Cup, only Bellingham was added as a fixed point for the midfield.

“He is an absolute personality. Even at that age. He is very clear,” said Kehl about the Bellingham, which was brought by the English second division club AFC Sunderland for a good 30 million euros. “He is certainly not finished at the age of 19, but he is someone who has a lot. A boy we are very, very much looking forward to,” said Kovac. He absolutely wanted the “box-to-box player”.

Despite the cancellations of Can and Schlotterbeck, Kovac is satisfied with the current squad without major repairs. “I don’t have the big wishes now,” said the BVB coach. “If we all stay healthy, that’s a very good Bundesliga squad.”

Current squad should be a minimum goal

Dortmund should also survive the preliminary round against Fluminense, the Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa and HD Ulsan from South Korea. Against the strongest opponent, the start. Fluminense with the now 40 -year -old captain Thiago Silva is in the middle of the season and is therefore fully in the juice. With a squad value of around 80 million euros compared to the approximately 480 million of the BVB, the Brazilians are still outsiders.

But is the squad also enough to survive against the global top teams? Some often disappointing professionals from last season are still there. A short -term sale of wing racers Jamie Gitten to Chelsea failed, and Brandt now even leads BVB as captain in the USA.

In addition, the curiosity could occur that Carney Chukwuemeka, which is currently only borrowed from FC Chelsea until June 30, has to leave in the middle of the tournament. “I don’t know how things go after June 30th. That is the job of the clubs,” said Kovac.

Success in the United States determines the scope of the squad redevelopment

At the Club World Cup, the trainer also plays with its crazy approaches with his team that they can still be added to the new season. A high double -digit million profit is in the USA for BVB. “We have the opportunity to record additional funds again via the club World Cup. That can certainly give us more air in summer,” said Kehl.