Borussia Dortmund bid farewell to the Champions League after a dramatic return leg against Atalanta Bergamo, losing 1-4. Although the German team defended a two-goal lead from the first leg, a series of individual errors and a penalty in the 98th minute of the match decided the Italians' advancement. For BVB, this is not only a sporting embarrassment but also a massive financial blow, forcing the club to radically adjust its profit forecasts for the current fiscal year.

BVB's Catastrophic Finish

Gregor Kobel's error and Ramy Bensebaini's foul in the 98th minute led to a penalty and Dortmund's elimination.

Club's Financial Crisis

Borussia Dortmund adjusted its financial forecast, anticipating a loss of up to €22 million due to lack of revenue from the Champions League.

Atalanta as Italy's Sole Representative

After the elimination of Juventus and Inter, the team from Bergamo is the only one from Serie A to advance to the round of 16.

The return leg in Bergamo will be remembered as one of the most unfortunate performances in Borussia Dortmund's recent history. The team led by Niko Kovac, despite a 2-0 lead from the first leg, seemed unprepared for the hosts' aggressive pressing and intensity from the start of the match. In the 5th minute, Gianluca Scamacca opened the scoring, and just before halftime, Davide Zappacosta leveled the aggregate score. Although in the second half it seemed that Karim Adeyemi's goal to make it 1-3 would secure extra time for Dortmund, the end of the match brought a series of inexplicable events. Key to the fate of advancement were the final minutes of stoppage time. A horrific error by goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who miskicked the ball outside his own penalty area, initiated Atalanta's attack. As a result, left-back Ramy Bensebaini, attempting to intervene in the penalty area, struck Mario Pašalić in the head with his studs. Referee José María Sánchez Martínez, after VAR review, awarded a penalty, which Lazar Samardzic converted into a goal. Bensebaini received a red card for his foul, and his performance was described by the media as near-disgraceful. Additionally, in the post-match confusion, Nico Schlotterbeck saw a red card on the substitutes' bench, although the player himself claims the referee could not justify that decision. Atalanta Bergamo, led by Raffaele Palladino, continues its remarkable run in European cups, becoming in recent years a symbol of an effective management model for a club with a smaller budget. For Italian football, its advancement has prestige significance, as after the elimination of Inter and Juventus, the Lombardy team remains the only representative of Serie A in the knockout stage of the Champions League.The financial repercussions of elimination are severe for BVB. The club issued an ad-hoc communication, in which it adjusted its financial result forecast from hovering around zero to a loss of around €12–22 million. Losing €11 million just from the bonus for advancing to the round of 16 destabilizes the budget, which was immediately noted by the Frankfurt stock exchange, lowering the company's share valuation. Satirical reports appeared in the media about BVB allegedly purchasing the Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt to remain in the competition, which is an open mockery of the German giant's desperation. „Dieses Weiterkommen war eingeplant, die Einnahmen hatten wir eingeplant.” (Advancing was planned, we had budgeted for the revenue.) — Sebastian Kehl The Italian press does not spare praise for Atalanta, calling it the "savior of national honor." Meanwhile, German newspapers such as "Süddeutsche Zeitung" and "Bild" point out the lack of character and glaring ineffectiveness of Dortmund's defense. This defeat calls into question the future of coach Kovac's project, especially ahead of the upcoming league clash with Bayern Munich, which is considered the last chance to salvage the league season.

Mentioned People

  • Ramy Bensebaini — Borussia Dortmund defender, considered the main culprit of the defeat after causing a penalty and receiving a red card.
  • Gregor Kobel — BVB goalkeeper, whose error in stoppage time initiated the attack leading to the decisive goal.
  • Lazar Samardzic — Atalanta midfielder, scorer of the decisive penalty goal in the 98th minute.
  • Sebastian Kehl — Borussia Dortmund sporting director, criticizing the team's attitude and pointing out financial shortfalls after the defeat.