Dortmund - On the Rhine

---

About a year ago, Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund were licking their wounds after being put to the sword by Jupp Heynckes' Bayern Munich. It was a hard day for Dortmund and their manager, made even harder by the fact that they were beaten at the final hurdle by their biggest rivals.

Ever since, BVB have found themselves on a slight decline after losing fan favorite Lewandowski and their very own home grown talent Mario Gotze. A player hotly tipped to become one of the World's best in the final months of his Dortmund career.

Now, loyal manager Jurgen Klopp has to put Dortmund back where they were and keep them there if he is to keep his job. Despite being put under enormous pressure he is keeping a cool head and has made a bold and slightly arrogant statement, claiming he can and will be the one to revolutionize Dortmund and football.

Here is the Dortmund manager speaking after he was asked the question; "Do you really think you can bring Dormtund back to the lofty heights of 2013? Can you keep them there?"

"I know I am a good manager. In fact I am currently one of the best in the World. I know that, you know that. Can you honestly say that statement is not true? I can't. I have done this before. You know...Take Dortmund to the top. I can do it again, and I will.

My job may currently seem a little unstable but it's not. Yes, the owners want success and so do I. We are working on this. The owners of this club love their football, and they know their football. Unlike the types of chairmen in England or Spain they can acknowledge that we have had to make a lot of sacrifices. They understand that losing players like Lewandowski and Gotze has been a tough blow to the clubs chances, and that is why I will keep my job. They understand.

This time round will be different. I am going to take football by storm and revolutionize it because I know I can. I have a very simple plan to take Dortmund to the top of the footballing World and this plan will change football for the better, I can assure you."

For obvious reasons, Klopp made no obligation as to what his "Simple plan" was. So, really we have no idea whether he has a plan and is just playing mind games with other clubs, or whether he genuinely has come up with a plan to make Dortmund the best in football.

I am going to enjoy this story so good luck nice start

Good luck with this story Big fan of Dortmund's rise in recent years and, of course, the man himself, Mr Jurgen Klopp. This should be interesting because talk in Germany suggests that this could be Klopp's final season with Dortmund before joining a bigger club, as they fall further behind Bayern Munich. Let's see how you fight back against Bayern Awesome banner too!!! Good luck once more

Nice update and good luck! Always like to see Bundesliga stories and hopefully you can topple Munich soon, watch out for Leverkusen and Schalke though!

I have been addicted to your Liverpool story and I have a feeling telling me this won't be any different with this one. Do your job!

Great start to your story! I'm a big fan of Dortmund so hopefully you can knock FC Bayern off their perch. Good luck

Glad to see someone doing a BVB Story, it's my favorite club and I was always hoping someone would do that. Hope it's gonna be a long and exciting story. Good luck

Stick with this story? Good luck

Jason: Cheers man, let's hope you do

Paddy: Bigger club then Dortmund? You having a laugh? Seriously though, thank you! Let's hope we can push Bayern off of their perch eh?

Zap: I hope we can do it sooner rather than later, and yes Leverkusen and Schalke will be tough teams to beat as well, but anyone can beat anyone in this league so they're not a priority over anyone else

OZ: I'll try my best!

Arsenal: Let's hope so!

Retrogott: Glad there's a Dortmund fan around now, not sure there is many...Or any for that matter! Hope you enjoy. Pretty sure Neal's doing one also!

James: I know I can really frustrate you by going from story after story haha In all honesty I would have stuck with Liverpool if certain things hadn't happen so I am sure I will! Thank you

---

Following the rumors linking the German hot shot to the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid and big rivals Bayern Munich, Marco Reus openly stated that he is at Dortmund for the long run and will turn down any contract offer he receives if his £23M release clause is activated next summer.

After teammates Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze left the club for fierce rivals Bayern Munich, media turned their heads toward that of Marco Reus who they expected to be the next to depart Die Borussen. However, Reus who tragically saw his World Cup campaign end before it even started has shut up every reporter from around Europe by claiming he is here to stay at Dortmund.

In an interview with a journalist who was reporting for Bild's sports column, Reus had this to say as he was questioned on his near future. Here is an extract from the interview.

Reporter: So, Marco. You have seen good friends depart Borussia Dortmund, can you honestly say that you will do the opposite and stay?

Reus: Yes, of course. Dortmund have been very good to me. I understand they did release me from a young age and in the end it was Gladbach who introduced me to senior football but I love Dortmund. I support them, and all that matters to me is that they brought me back here, put faith in me and I think I can safely say I repaid that faith.

My football has gone from one level to another since moving back here, and I hope that I can go a step further and push myself to become even better. Right now...I can only see myself doing it at Dortmund.

Reporter: But, if a team like Bayern Munich activated your release clause, you would have the chance to be reunited with your good friend Mario Gotze! You would most probably have a better chance at success too! Are you really sure that if they made the offer, you would reject?

Reus: Of course. I hate Bayern. I grew up in Dortmund, and Dortmund brought me into football so Dortmund is where I'll be staying unless for some reason they do not want me.

As for Mario...He like me grew up here. He lives and breathes Dortmund. Or should I say lived and breathed? I do not know. What I do know is, I don't think I consider him a close friend anymore. Or even a friend. He hurt the Dortmund fans. He came down on the greatest fans in the World like a ton of bricks when he moved. I can't say I'd want to be "reunited" with him.

Put it this way, if Bayern activated the release clause in my contract I wouldn't even take the call if they tried to contact me to negotiate a contract. Same goes for any other team really. it would be a mistake if I moved to Munich.

Reporter: Ok, well last question Marco. Will you be signing a new contract with Borussia Dortmund?

Reus: I cannot say. That is not up to me, it is up to the club. I want to and if they make the offer I will do so without hesitation. If there was any news of a new contract I would tell you, but there is not. I have a contract here until 2017 anyway, so really there isn't much need but I would like my future at the club to be ensured.

So, Dortmund fans can breath again. With Marco Reus staying this definitely does mean good news for his manager and the rest of the team. Klopp will be able to build around Reus as well as Hummels, Subotic, and Gundogan. He already has top quality players, but he definitely needs a few more if he wants to properly compete with Bayern Munich.

Let's go Reusy!

Who are you looking to sign?

Nice GFX Aaron, but the name of the story is just great

Zivkovic: "I came here to experience the outrageous atmosphere. I came here to play for the fans, and the badge on the shirt. I want to be here for a long time to come."

---

Until now there have been absolutely no reports linking Dortmund to any new players but they've surprised everyone by secretly signing 17 year old Andrija Zivkovic for a fee thought to be around Six million. Yes, that's right...Klopp has only gone out and spent his entire transfer budget on an unproven left winger in the hope that he will go on to develop and prosper into one of "The Worlds greats", in the words of the Dortmund head coach.

Zivkovic will be coming all the way from Partizan in Serbia to make his transfer to Borussia Dortmund, and the right winger has high hopes for the move.

"I think it's a good chance for me to come and show people what I can do, show people what I do. Here at Dortmund I feel like I am more in the spotlight which I think will be able to help me improve my game. I work a lot better under pressure because when you are put under pressure, you know there is something to achieve. When there is no pressure, anything you do achieve won't feel like an achievement because it was an easy thing to do. That's just my opinion anyway.

I like to do things the hard way, that way I feel like I have accomplished more. This is why I feel like Dortmund is the place for me. It will be extremely difficult to knock Bayern and anyone else off their perch, but when we do it I and the rest of the team will be on top of the World.

I have come here to not just win things and pick up awards for my own personal gain, but also to play for the truly outstanding fans, and the badge embedded into the front of this shirt.

I'm not expecting to get much game time this season, however there isn't much depth in my position so maybe I will get some chances to pay back the faith my new coach has put in me. When the day comes I get to play for the team at home, I will drink in the atmosphere. The fans are truly devastating at times, there aren't many like them!"

Zivkovic is looking like he will be Klopp's only signing this term as most or even all of his transfer budget is put into the path of Andrija's former club Partizan. So, as he is expected to be their only signing we think he'll be getting a little more than just "Some chances".

---

Just days after stating he was here to stay, Marco Reus has put pen to paper on a new contract with Borussia Dortmund

---

So the signing of Zivkovic isn't the only good news of the day for Dortmund fans. Marco Reus has lifted the heads of every supporter by signing a new contract which will take him up to just 10K more than he was already on per week.

The German's new contract is thought to be keeping him at the club until 2019 and does oddly include a release clause. Don't fret though...It's nothing compared to the minimal 21 million it was before.

No, this time his release clause stands at £120M, which is odd because surely if he was sure that he wanted to remain at the club then he wouldn't have asked for a release clause at all? Maybe it's just his agent playing games, but don't worry. It's unlikely anyone will be willing to pay that much for the 25 year old. ...We hope anyway.

What did Klopp have to say on the matter though? We haven't heard from him in a while so here he is giving his opinion on Reus' new contract.

"I'm pleased he has pledged his future to us. He's a fine player and we're lucky to have a personality such as his in the squad. He's a true role model to younger players and fans and he himself isn't all that old.

I know there has been a lot of speculation on his whereabouts in the future, and I know that a lot of big clubs are interested. Who wouldn't be? He's an unbelievable player. I'm glad to announce he is staying though. He'll be a Dortmund man for many years to come."

Lot's of good news for Dortmund fans today, but that's looking like it'll be cut short as we've just discovered that actually many of the first team players will not be available for selection against Bayern Munich in the upcoming Super cup...Including Reus.

The likes of Gundogan, Sahin, and Reus are all out injured and aren't expected to be back for a while. Especially Sahin who will be out of action for five months. Disgracefully, other players like Hummels and Weidenfeller will remain on holiday.

Surely a little of effort from them to come back in time wouldn't go a miss? It's not like Bayern's top players are on holiday too. I think it's safe to say the rest of the team have been let down.

UsuallyChopped:

Basham: Honestly, we don't have a lot of money so I can't see many people coming in this summer. I have my targets though and will try my best to pick up as many of them as I can as quickly as I can!

Tallery: Thanks man, it was Esbech who suggested it