Dortmund's Perfect Start: Ricken's Subtle Jab at Bayern

Borussia Dortmund have started the season perfectly. No dropped points, no early wobble, and for once it is Bayern Munich glancing up the table at the black and yellow.

Lars Ricken is not turning that into a title proclamation. But he is happy to let Bayern feel the sting.

"There is a very respectful relationship between the two clubs. Nevertheless, in recent years we have not given Bayern the feeling that a declaration of intent had to go out to them either," the 50-year-old sporting managing director told Bild.

Then came the little jab. Dortmund sit two points clear of the record champions. Ricken knows exactly what that does in Munich.

"I do not want to conceal the fact that I hope they are a little annoyed," he said. "We know the table and they are currently not where they think they belong. If that feeling prevails, I would be pleased."

No war cry. Just a calculated nudge. Dortmund are winning, Bayern are chasing, and Ricken is content to let the league table do most of the talking.

Elversberg’s Wagner: a BVB fan on the Bundesliga touchline

While BVB push at the top, one of their long-time admirers is making waves from a very different dugout.

Vincent Wagner, the coach of Bundesliga newcomers SV Elversberg, is enjoying his own rise – but his footballing heart has been with Dortmund for nearly 30 years.

"Now I have to watch what I say. I have been a Borussia Dortmund fan since the 1995/1996 season," he admitted to Bild.

The boyhood allegiance does not mean he is plotting a move to the Westfalenstadion. Not yet.

"At the moment I still lack the imagination to one day be standing there on the touchline. I am happy at SV Elversberg and glad that I am allowed to be a Bundesliga coach - because I love my job," Wagner explained.

His footballing blueprint is clear. He wants intensity and ideas, emotion and structure.

"I try to have my teams play football in a holistic way. The intensity and passion of Klopp paired with the tactical understanding and meticulousness of Pep Guardiola."

That is an ambitious mix. For now, it is Elversberg who benefit. But the admiration for Dortmund – and the style that made them a force under Jürgen Klopp – quietly runs through his work.

Kaba back on the pitch as Dortmund tread carefully with teen talent

Behind the first team’s perfect start, BVB’s talent factory keeps grinding. One of the more delicate projects took a positive step this week.

Mussa Kaba, a 17-year-old midfield prospect, finally returned to competitive action after half a year out. He went straight into the starting XI for Dortmund’s reserves in a 3-2 win over Rödinghausen, playing the first half.

His absence since March was not down to a single major injury, but to physical growth and the muscle problems that followed. Dortmund slowed everything down, opting for a cautious build-up to protect his body.

Now the next phase begins. Together with Enzo Duarte, another youngster recently back from injury, Kaba is being eased into rhythm with the U23s.

Coach Daniel Rios underlined the priority: "Now it is about Mussa and Enzo getting minutes and getting into rhythm. There is always coordination with the professional department."

No rush, no hype. Just minutes, fitness, and the long road towards the first team.

Why Sancho stayed away: Ricken lifts the lid on Dortmund’s decision

The idea felt almost inevitable at one point: Jadon Sancho, unattached and adored in Dortmund, coming back for a second encore.

It did not happen. And Ricken has now set out exactly why.

"To a certain extent it was important to me to bring in new faces, new stories, new figures for identification," he told Bild, making clear that sentiment was never going to drive this window.

Sancho’s quality is not in doubt. His impact off the pitch, though, would have been enormous – and that was precisely the problem.

"Jadon has that kind of force," Ricken said. Even in a reduced role, his name would dominate every conversation. Every press conference, every headline. "Jadon would be our only topic," he feared.

That would have triggered a domino effect. Ricken spelled it out.

"As a consequence, you would then have to look: do you sell a Fabio Silva?" Planned arrivals might have stalled as well: "Can you then only bring in Karetsas and not Konstantelias?"

Then there is the next generation. Ricken pointed directly to two of them.

"We have young players like Inacio or Mathis Albert. Do you then have to sell or loan them out?"

In the end, the answer inside the club was clear. No Sancho. No shortcut. No overshadowing of the new faces and academy products they want to push.

"These are decisions we make," Ricken concluded.

Dortmund have chosen a path: new stories, new protagonists, and a quiet satisfaction at seeing Bayern in the rear-view mirror for once. How long that view lasts will define their season.