Borussia Dortmund mentor Thomas Tuchel has been helping his players through the stun of a week ago’s assault on the group transport and demands they are rationally prepared for the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal against Monaco on Wednesday.
Last Tuesday in Germany, three blasts went off as the group gone to the stadium for the home leg against Monaco, leaving protector Marc Bartra requiring healing center treatment following wounds to his wrist and arm after a window was broken.
The match was rescheduled for Wednesday and Monaco won 3-2 to place itself in a solid position to achieve the elimination rounds.
By then, Tuchel’s brain was far from football and he was irate that European soccer’s overseeing body, UEFA, had not considered the assault sufficiently important as it quickly rescheduled the amusement. The club’s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke even considered pulling back the club from the opposition.
On the eve of the arrival leg, the mentality of Tuchel and his players is distinctive: a blend of pride, inspiration and rebellion.
“We’ve got this out of our system now, and we’re more stable emotionally,” said Tuchel, who was speaking through a translator at the pre-match news conference.
“All that happened last week has made us stronger. Now we have to play well and I’m convinced we can do that. We’re ready and focused. We know it will be very tough, but we have the energy and confidence we need to get a result.”
Tuchel has turned out to be more than a mentor to his players over the most recent couple of days, connecting with them on a passionate level.
“It’s a situation that we’re all discovering together. We have to find a way to get through everything that happened together,” Tuchel said. “We’re the only ones who can understand what happened since we were there.
“I’m a part of this helpful process, and it’s a joy to see how much the players talk to each other and respect each other’s emotions,” Tuchel said. “I try to help by sharing my feelings and we learn things together through this process.”
Reus says football, for this situation, has a helpful quality.
“It’s not a question of fear; it’s actually good for us. We’re thinking about something else, we’re not all stuck at home,” he said. “Such an event can give you more energy and brings you closer together.”
On the pitch, Monaco must figure out how to score in any event twice against a Monaco side that gloats a fearsome assault.
