Borussia Dortmund's rise from the ashes

Borussia Dortmund

Now known as one of the superpowers in German and European football, Dortmund have made a mark as one of the most feared teams to play against.

While their supporters are considered to be the most passionate and their stadiums one of the most difficult to play in, one wonders how they reached the level they are at today. Analyzing their past, it would appear that the club went through a very difficult period, after which they managed to finally bask in the success they deserve.

Having been founded by a group of seventeen players in 1909 who were unhappy playing for the Trinity Youth, which was a club sponsored by the church and played football being looked over by the stern priest, the name was borrowed from the Borussia brewery in Dortmund.

Recently, as a commentator said before a Dortmund match, “In case you’ve spent the last few decades on a different planet, Dortmund are in black and yellow”. Such is the significance of the colours they show off, which initially the club donned in 1913.

The club played in local leagues and didn’t enjoy too much success until finally they decided to bring in players which led to financial problems and managed to survive only through the generosity of a local supporter who opened his pocket for them.

While playing in the Gauglia Westfalen, a major league in the 1930-50 period, they developed a rivalry with FC Schalke who are still considered major rivals to them. It is considered a disgrace if a player switches amongst these clubs, just as between clubs like Arsenal and Spurs.

After brief success in the 1960s, the club was relegated  from the Bundesliga in 1972 which was triggered by financial problems yet again.

However, this time they needed no helping hand and managed to get back into the major league just four years later and also moved to their current stadium, the Westfalenstadion. The financial issues continued through the 1980s, and they just managed to escape relegation in 1986.

The decade that turned things around

With a new manager taking charge of the club, it was all up from there for the German club. Ottmar Hitzfeld made the team strong competitors for the Bundesliga and the European cup too.

Having won back to back league titles in 1995 and 1996 under the captaincy of European footballer of the year Matthias Sammer, they managed to pull off a historic win against Juventus in the ’96/97 Champions League final despite having to deal with legends like Zidane and Del Piero.

They went on to win the Club World Cup too that year. It was a major season for them, and they became the ‘talk of the town’ amongst fans around the world.

Borussia Dortmund with the UEFA Champions League trophy

The third Bundesliga title for the club in 2002 was much more than just an achievement, as Matthias Sammer who had won the trophy earlier as a player, this time lifted it up as the manager and was penned down in Dortmund history for this remarkable feat.