File picture of Dortmund’s head coach Juergen Klopp.
Borussia Dortmund will not change their aim of a top-three finish for direct entry into the Champions League despite a terrible start into the Bundesliga season, general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke said.
Watzke told yesterday’s edition of Kicker sports magazine that seven points from seven games - and a current winless run of four games - are “absolutely unsatisfactory” but that the final goal stands.
“We declared a clear objective before the start of the season and I cannot see any reason to revise this. We want to qualify directly for the Champions League and I am convinced that we will succeed,” Watzke said.
Juergen Klopp’s team trails leaders and champions Bayern Munich by 10 points in their worst start in five years but is only six behind second-placed Hoffenheim and number three Borussia Moenchengladbach.
The latest setback was a 1-0 home defeat Saturday against SV Hamburg, who had been winless last until then. Dortmund have also lost a derby against arch-rivals Schalke.
Watzke spoke of an “accumulation of deficiencies” that led to the poor results, mainly poor defending, but also a long injury list including the likes of Ilkay Guendogan and Marco Reus.
Watzke hopes that the current international break will help the 2011 and 2012 Bundesliga champions who next visit Cologne.
Dortmund have shown what they are capable of in Champions League by winning the first two games against Arsenal (2-0) and Anderlecht (3-0).
