ZCZC
BSP-07
FBL-EUR-C1-GER-BUNDESLIGA-DORTMUND
Star barber’s Wembley visit doesn’t cut it for Dortmund chiefs
BERLIN, Feb 15, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – A group of Borussia Dortmund stars have
been slammed in the media and criticised by club bosses after inviting a
celebrity barber to the team hotel on the eve of their Champions League
mauling by Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.
Bundesliga leaders Dortmund face a mountain to climb in the return on
March 5 after an error-strewn second-half display saw them lose 3-0 to
Tottenham in the last 16, first leg in London on Wednesday.
In the wake of the defeat, stars Axel Witsel, Raphael Guerreiro, Dan-Axel
Zagadou, Abdou Diallo and Jacob Bruun Larsen have been sharply criticised for
inviting celebrity barber, London-based Sheldon Edwards, to the team hotel in
Wembley to cut their hair.
Edwards has flown to Dortmund in the past to cut the squad’s hair and the
Londoner has also given a trim to athletics legend Usain Bolt, plus several
Premier League stars such as Manchester City trio Raheem Sterling, Gabriel
Jesus and Benjamin Mendy.
“Today we have another generation of players who are preparing (for
matches) differently from how I did,” said sporting director Michael Zorc,
who made more than 500 appearances for Dortmund as a midfielder and played
for Germany in the 1990s.
“That said, it shouldn’t have happened and it won’t happen again.”
According to reports, the club was not aware of the barber’s visit to the
team hotel so close to an important match.
“These millionaire footballers should have their heads washed by the club
bosses,” fumed Germany’s top-selling daily Bild.
“Such aloof behaviour puts their fans off as much as a defeat on the
pitch.”
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke played down the mini scandal, but
admitted the club will speak to the players involved.
“Of course, a haircut has no effect on the performance of the team,” said
Watzke.
“The reasons for the defeat lay in the sporting arena and we have to
analyse them directly.
“The fact that the defeat leads to a visit from a hairdresser being viewed
more critically by the media is clear.
“That’s why Michael Zorc and Sebastian Kehl (team manager) will be working
on the topic with the appropriate players.”
The squad’s professionalism was criticised in the German media before the
team even flew from Dortmund after their plane was delayed because Jadon
Sancho and Diallo forgot their passports and Omer Toprak lost his boarding
pass.
As Bild points out, Dortmund’s barber scandal is the latest in a line of
recent ill-advised indiscretions involving wealthy Bundesliga footballers.
After Germany crashed out of the 2018 World Cup in the group phase, it
emerged the internet had to be switched off at the team hotel at nights to
prevent the squad playing computer games into the small hours.
Last month, Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery was “heavily fined” by the
defending Bundesliga champions for a foul-mouthed response to critics after
he posted a picture on social media eating a gold-plated steak.
BSS/AFP/BZC/2010HRS