Shahin: The Most Joyful Thing is the Team’s Playing Style—Playing Like This Makes Dortmund Hard to Beat

In the early hours of October 2, in a breathtaking match, Dortmund swept Celtic with a score of 7-1. After the game, Nuri Shahin, Dortmund’s head coach, naturally praised his players lavishly. This victory not only thrilled German fans but also paved a golden path for Dortmund in the new season’s Champions League.

Dortmund has reached the Champions League knockout stage nine times in the past eleven seasons, and they have once again demonstrated their strength on this stage. In the first group stage game, they gave Club Brugge a 3-0 “wake-up call” away from home. Behind all this is the 36-year-old coach Shahin. As the youngest coach in this season’s Champions League, Shahin has already led the team to two consecutive victories, now boasting a goal difference of +9, firmly occupying the top spot in the group.

Regarding this resounding victory, Shahin said after the game: “I couldn’t be more satisfied! From the start of the match, the players showed great momentum and quickly took the lead. The team strictly followed the tactical plan, and we fully deserved this victory. What makes me happiest is our playing style. By continuously pushing forward, we made it difficult for the opponents to cope. And when we play like this, we are hard to beat. I am very proud of the effort and fighting spirit shown by the players; this is exactly the standard we aim for. We have also taken an important step forward in the development of the team.”

On the other side, Brendan Rodgers, Celtic’s head coach, looked rather grim. “At the beginning of the game, we made repeated mistakes and were soon caught out by the opponent. Although the players tried hard, they made too many mistakes, especially in ball control. To catch up with Dortmund’s level, we need to do better.”