Football in the modern era is multi-faceted – quest for silverware, styles of play and finding the purple patch with the appropriate club.
But what has suffered the consequences of the frugality of the game is loyalty – one that created players like Francesco Totti, Ryan Giggs, Paolo Maldini, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.
‘One club players’ are like steam engines now – once the crown jewel but far from popular at the moment.
When Marco Reus takes the field against Real Madrid in his final game as a player of Borussia Dortmund, eyeing the Champions League title at Wembley on Saturday, he will be another man to have internalised the term ‘one club player’.
“Dortmund means everything to me. Playing for a club for 12 years has to mean something. You don’t stay just because of the name or the money. You need to feel comfortable, have a good environment and have great teammates,” Reus told UEFA.com before the summit clash.
Homecoming after a detour
Reus, born in Dortmund, joined the youth academy of the Die Schwarzgelben at seven and spent a decade honing his talent, ultimately breaking into the under-19 team at 17.
In 2006, he moved to the third-division side Rot Weiss Ahlen, eventually helping them earn a promotion to the second division.
Borussia Monchengladbach then came knocking – his first stint in the Bundesliga - where his goalscoring skills as an attacking midfielder attracted attention, especially his runs from the midfield into the final third and his lethal volleys.
His 35 goal contributions in 37 matches (21 goals, 14 assists) earned him the Player of the Season in the Bundesliga in 2011-12, his first of the three and a homecoming was on the horizon.
“I’ve made the decision to take the next step forward in the coming season. I’d like to play for a club which can challenge for the league title and guarantee me Champions League football. I see this chance in Dortmund,” he said, on returning to his boyhood club in 2012.
Creating a legacy
In Reus’ first season at Dortmund (as a senior team player), he scored against Real Madrid and Malaga in knockout games as the club made it to the Champions League final for the first time in 15 years.
Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski (L) and Marco Reus celebrate at the end of the UEFA Champions League 2013 semifinal second leg against Real Madrid. | Photo Credit: AFP
Though the club faltered in securing the European title, Reus scored a brace in the German Cup that season, helping his club beat Bayern Munich 4-2 in the final, winning it a trophy for the first time since 1996.
Reus had completed his homecoming. With 170 goals for the club, he is the second-highest goalscorer of Dortmund, only seven goals short of Adi Preiebler. Reus has the most strikes for the club in the Bundesliga era (since 1963).
His ability to create goals has remained consistent. In the last 20 years, he sits second in the list for most assists in the Bundesliga (95), just below his compatriot Thomas Muller (171). But Reus has kept wanting more.
Though the German struggled with injuries, he has continued to be a significant presence on the field whenever fit, eventually becoming the highest goalscorer for the club in the Champions League.
“Football has changed. You can’t compare the way teams play now with how they did six or seven years ago. The game has become faster, more varied, more tactical,’‘ Reus told the club website in an earlier interview.
‘’For me, it’s all about encouraging my teammates on the training pitch in those difficult phases of the season. The most important thing is to lead the way with performance.’‘
Last dance in Yellow and Black
One of Reus’ earliest challenges as Dortmund player was the Champions League final – a match he lost 1-2 to Bayern Munich at the Wembley Stadium.
Over a decade later, in his final chapter with the Yellow and Black, Reus returns to the same venue with the European crown up for grabs.
“The last final at Wembley was 11 years ago, and it’s a different opposition, different players as well, so it’s not about revenge, it’s just about the anticipation,” Reus told UEFA.
Dortmund fans thank Marco Reus before the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and SV Darmstadt 98 at the Signal Iduna Park. | Photo Credit: AP
“With time, you become more experienced, you can prepare better than when you are only 20 years old. But I think it’s normal that everyone will feel a bit nervous and tense, that’s the way it is.”
Dortmund’s last Champions League-winning side, in 1996-97, had one of its legends Michael Zorc in the squad – the then second-highest goalscorer for the club, a record Reus enjoys now.
And it will be interesting to see whether Reus can emulate Zorc’s feat in his last dance with the club.
“Now, the objective is to win the trophy because we cannot imagine how things could be the very next day here [in Dortmund]. It’s just about the next 90 minutes, possibly 120 minutes, which will decide [the outcome],” Reus said.
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