Bosz: I Should Not Have Compromised With Players During My Dortmund Spell; I Was Too Lenient

Bosz spoke about his experience managing Borussia Dortmund. At a masterclass organized by Omroep Brabant, he explained why he was quickly dismissed by the German giants.

The masterclass was held at the Eindhoven Music Hall in early December and has been available to watch on the regional broadcaster's website since this Thursday. Someone at the event asked Bosz whether, when working with a very talented player who did not follow the coach's instructions, he had ever compromised his own ideas.

Bosz said he did exactly that at Borussia Dortmund, but later regretted it. The coach had a strong start in Germany, leading Dortmund to victories in their first five league matches and a five-point lead at the top of the table ahead of Bayern Munich.

Dortmund then lost 3-1 at home to Real Madrid in the Champions League. Bosz recalled: "That was when Greek center-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos, the goalkeeper and the defensive midfielder sat together and said: 'This coach is completely crazy. We are pressing too high. Look, we conceded three goals.'"

"It was those players who caused the team to actually start falling apart. I should have intervened. I should not have talked with them; I should have immediately sent them away. Looking back, that is what I should have done."

Apart from Papastathopoulos, Bosz did not name the other players, but he may have been referring to Bürki and Nuri Sahin. Both played against Real Madrid and were regular starters at the time.

Bosz was eventually dismissed in December 2017, after winning only one of his previous 13 matches. He also described how Van Gaal questioned him over dinner about what had gone wrong at Borussia Dortmund.

"Aubameyang was my main striker. The sporting director told me when I arrived that the squad would not change, but Aubameyang would still go to China," Bosz told Van Gaal. "Dortmund could have received 87 million euros from that transfer, and he could have earned 24 million euros net per year there. In that case, I could understand why we could not keep him."

However, the transfer eventually fell through. "Aubameyang was angry because, especially one week later, the sporting director said again that nobody in the squad would leave. Soon after, Dembélé was sold to Barcelona for 140 million euros. Aubameyang was furious and arrived one minute late to the dressing room every day."

Bosz continued by explaining that he called Aubameyang aside. "He told me this was not directed at me personally, but at the club. Aubameyang continued to arrive late. Later, when I had to hold a press conference, he invited a French channel and had spent the previous night with them, staying busy with them right before the match. That time I had had enough. So that weekend, I did not start him."

Van Gaal wanted to know what happened afterward. "'And then?' he asked. I told him I did not take Aubameyang to the away match against Stuttgart. 'And then?' Van Gaal asked again. The next day, I held a team meeting because everyone wanted to say something. A day later, Aubameyang returned to training with the squad."

"Van Gaal then said: 'Wrong!!!! You should have sent him back.' I was shocked and said that Aubameyang went to Arsenal after the winter window, with a transfer fee of around 60 million euros. How could I have sent him back? Do you know what Van Gaal replied? 'No, then you would have been the one getting fired.' He was right," Bosz concluded with a laugh.