Heaven or Hell? Changes between Borussia Dortmund and Sch...e

For each fan of Borussia Dortmund one thing is for sure, where to be on Friday, 4th February 2011 around 8.30 p.m! Either directly in the Westfalenstadion or in the living room or in a sportsbar watching Borussia's match live onTV. And we all know which match it will be: It's the most important derby in Germany: Black and yellow versus blue and white, Borussia Dortmund against Sch...e!

For the fans of both clubs it's no question: either you are a fan of Borussia for 1909 per cent or you are a fan for x per cent (sorry, the exact percentage I have forgotten) of the suburban club of Gelsenkirchen. Strange contemporaries who state: "we sympathize with both clubs" or "the better team should win" won't be seen as serious neither in Dortmund nor in the suburb.
But indeed, the loyalty of the actors on the green very often differs regarding the colours of the club! For the player the club is the employer and the changing of the club is to change the employer, as you have it very often in professional life.

Surely nobody could imagine a player like Michael Zorc or Lars Ricken wearing a jersey in the blue and white smurf design! And presently for a Dortmund boy like Kevin Großkreutz this would be also unthinkable. But very often not only heart and birth played a roll to change to the" wrong colors" – seen from fans of both clubs. Last but not least financial aspects played and still will play a guiding roll!

Schwatzgelb wants to introduce some of these changing candidates before the derby starts. Regarding this we would like to watch these candidates through our "black and yellow glasses".

All readers who love the other combination of colours as mentioned above should now better click the button "close" and do some other work. It sometimes can be hard to read the truth!

Jens Lehmann – Goalkeeper
Gelsenkirchen 1988 – 1998, BVB 1999 – 2003
Let's begin with a number one! Jens Lehman as a keeper was doubtless one of the best – no matter in which jersey. When he lost his regular position as a goal keeper in North Italy after his change from Gelsenkirchen to AC Milano, he took the decision to play for BVB. His start in Dortmund was not easy! After very heavy displeasures over him at a part of Dortmund fans in the beginning, the resentment disappeared little by little.
Instead of this he lost all his former sympathies of the blue and white fans. His earnings as member of the UEFA cup winner team 1997 or his header in the same year equaling the derby with a 2:2 result in the Westfalenstadion had been forgotten over night.
In his book "Der Wahnsinn liegt auf dem Platz" ("Madness on the green"), Lehmann writes about his time in Dortmund: "...Away match in Schalke. Out of 61700 spectators, 61699 seem to whistle when I got the ball and this for the whole 90 minutes...."Also when playing his first matches in Dortmund the whistles against Lehmann could not be denied. But after all these years one question should be allowed: Was it necessary to wear a blue and white cap in his first home match for Borussia?

Gerhard Kleppinger – Defender
Gelsenkirchen 1984 – 1987, BVB 1987 – 1988
After the relegation of Gelsenkirchen in the season 1987/88 Kleppinger changed to Borussia. In the blue and white suburb there were hardly any comments regarding this change. Sch...e had other worries or better said "second division" worries. After only one year in Dortmund, the defender moved to Bayer Uerdingen. Today Kleppinger is working as assistant coach for FSV Frankfurt.

Rolf Rüssmann – Defender
Gelsenkirchen 1969 – 1973 and 1974 – 1980, BVB 1980 – 1985
During the season 1980/81 Gelsenkirchen was in absolute need of money. The club's president of that time, Dr.Fenne therefore decided to sell two of Sch...e's most efficient players, Rüssmann and Abramczik. BVB bought both and they changed to play in the Westfalenstadion for the future. Compared to later transfers the expressions of displeasure in Sch...e had been very limited. Dortmund was happy about an improved quality on the green and Sch...e felt happy about shortly improved liquidity, but at the end of the season they had to accept the first relegation in the club's history. Rolf Rüssmann remains Borusse until the end of his career in 1985 and as a former Sch...e player he still made the most matches wearing the BVB jersey. The former Borussia coach Pal Csernai tried to convince him to continue his career in the season 1985/86, but Rüssmann didn't change his decision. He returned to Gelsenkirchen as a manager for half a year, but the employment ended up in a dispute. Later on he worked as a manager in Mönchengladbach and Stuttgart. Rolf Rüssmann died too early in October 2009. We always will remind him as a player and fighter without any allures, no matter in which jersey he entered the green.

Rüdiger Abramczik – Forward
Gelsenkirchen 1973 – 1980, BVB 1980 – 1983, Gelsenkirchen 1987 - 1988
Together with Rolf Rüßmann the so-called „Flankengott" ("master of crosses") changed from the cash-strapped Sch...e to black and yellow. With Manni Burgsmüller both built up an effective forwarding double. When playing for Dortmund "Abi" gained in total 30 goals for Borussia. After playing for Nuremberg, Istanbul and Oberhausen, Abramczik returned for 4 games back to Gelsenkirchen playing a sweeper position in 1987. Until the end of 2010 Abramczik worked as trainer in Latvia.

Ulrich Bittcher - Midfielder
Gelsenkirchen 1976 – 1983, BVB 1983 – 1987
After the second relegationt of Sch...e within two years, the Gelsenkirchen-born Bittcher changed to Borussia and he belonged for three years to the black'n yellow regular players. The blue and white fans reacted very rude when they heard about the change. But the aim of Bittcher was to play in the first division, which was impossible in Gelsenkirchen. The long pronounced cry for "Uliiiii" which was to be heard each time when Bittcher touched the ball was transmitted from Gelsenkirchen to Westfalenstadion. Certainly the most important goal for the midfielder was the 1:0 victory goal for the BVB vs. Bayern in 1985 in Munich's Olympiastadium. A lasting injury terminated Bittcher's career in the season of 1986/87.

Reinhard Libuda – Forward
Gelsenkirchen 1961 – 1965, BVB 1965 – 1968, Gelsenkirchen 1968 – 1972 and 1973 - 1976
At the start oft he season 1965/1966 Reinhard „Stan" Libuda changed from Gelsenkirchen to Borussia Dortmund. Together with Siggi Held,and Lothar Emmerich, the very tricky right winger acted as Borussia's top forwarders for the time of three years. Unforgettable Stan's fantastic victory goal in the Europe Final Cup 1966 vs. Liverpool! A distance shot, curving like a banana and Borussia won 2:1 in Glasgow! Also the highest win for Borussia against the rival in Gelsenkirchen (7:0!) dates back into his black'n yellow area. In the Jubilee book of Borussia Dortmund, named "Ein Jahrhundert Borussia Dortmund," ("one century Borussia Dortmund") Reinhard Libuda is described as "a Borussia-player with a Gelsenkirchen heart". This substantially explains his return to the blue and white colours in 1968. Besides the win of the European Cup winners cup 1966 for Dortmund, the win of the National Cup in 1972 as well as 26 nominations for Germany's national team were the highlights of Libuda's career. Outside the green "Stan" had no luck. After being involved in the scandal of the Bundesliga, he neither had a successful comeback on the green, nor any success in his professional life. Libuda got very thick and he died in 1996. The very loud shouts for "Stan Libuda" in the Westfalenstadion after the minute of commemoration were prove enough that the success owing to him would have never been forgotten –despite the rivalry between Borussia and Sch...e!

Jürgen Wegmann – Forward
BVB 1984 – 1986, Gelsenkirchen 1986 – 1987, BVB 1989 - 1993
In 1984 the „Cobra" (Wegmann's description about himself) changed from Rot Weiss Essen to BVB and he became Borussia's top scorer with 14 goals during the season 1985/86. As soon it was known that he would play for Sch...e in the coming season, each of his actions for black and yellow was guided by loud whistling. But all disappointment was forgotten when he saved BVB from playing in the second division in the relegation match against Fortuna Köln! Seconds before the final whistle he scored the 3:1 for Borussia! In the following match of decision in Düsseldorf he scored a penalty goal. In the end Borussia won 8:0 and avoided relegation. Wegmann's stay in Gelsenkirchen did only last for one season, after that he changed to Bayern Munich. In 1989 – 1992 he returned to Borussia, but he could not achieve a position as regular player in Dortmund's team. As a forwarder he scored 33 goals for BVB and 10 goals for blue and white. The final step of Wegmann's career was a job in Bayern Munich's merchandising department.

Ingo Anderbrügge - Midfielder
BVB 1984 – 1988, Gelsenkirchen 1988 - 2000
After having played 4 years at BVB, the guy who had been born in Datteln (a small town, around 15 km to the north of Dortmund) changed to Gelsenkirchen at the age of 24. Hostilities were unknown in both clubs regarding this transfer. The reason for this was probably that Gelsenkirchen was playing at that time in the second division, which should last for another two years. As a member of the UEFA Cup winner team 1997 he scored in the same year against Borussia for Sch...e's 1:0 win. Those fans of the suburban club who regarded him even after 9 years still as an ex-Borussia player, then probably considered him as a real Sch...e player!

Steffen Freund – Midfielder
Gelsenkirchen 1991 – 1993, BVB 1993 - 1998
First of all the change from blue and white to black'n yellow was not so easy for the midfielder. That's why he did not succeed in his first season playing for Borussia to become a regular player. With the return of Andreas Möller from Turin, things changed immediately. Steffen Freund took over the part of the "cleaner" for Andy Möller and became an indispensable part of the BVB team. Although he could not play due to an injury in the Champion's League final in 1997, there were 2 German championships during Steffen Freund's time in Dortmund as well as his entry into the German National team. After 4 years for Tottenham Hotspur (1999 – 2003), Steffen Freund abandoned his active career in Kaiserslautern and Leicester City.

Andreas Möller - Midfielder
BVB 1988 – 1990 and 1994 – 2000, Gelsenkirchen 2000 - 2003
Seldom feelings ran high due to the change of Andreas Möller from BVB to Gelsenkirchen! One of the worst concepts of the enemy now in blue and white! "Please give a fair chance to Andy...!" With these words former GE manager Rudi Assauer tried to calm down all angry fans of Sch...e in front of TV cameras when announcing the transfer. At first nobody really wanted to calm down. The Internet page "Möller raus" ("Möller out!") which was created from hardcore fans of Gelsenkirchen was quickly filled with entries, made most people shaking their heads or thinking that the majority of the writers is insane. Meanwhile some objective blue white fans (some really exist) admit that Möller clearly improved the midfield of Gelsenkirchen. The statement that no "championship of the hearts" in 2001 as well as two cup wins would have been possible without Andy Möller, can be taken for granted. BVB fans could only speculate about the motives for the change of the 34 year old player. What were the reasons - the promises of Rudi Assauer or did Möller want to escape the new chief coach of the BVB, Matthias Sammer? That Möller lost all sympathies in Dortmund due to his change must not be mentioned separately. Was the Westfalenstadion up to now the only place where he was not attacked by whistles, all was over when he had his first appearance in the blue and white jersey! Currently Möller is working as manager for Kickers Offenbach.

And last, but not least Christoph Metzelder – Defender
BVB 2000 – 2008, Gelsenkirchen 2010 - ?
A change which nearly stirred up everyone's' blood in both clubs like the change of Andreas Möller! Christoph Metzelder as an ex-BVB player could have changed from Real Madrid to Wolfsburg, Leverkusen or Bremen. No BVB fan would have gotten upset about that change! But to go to Sch...e? Just to that club, where he had played for one year during his youth team days and of which he did not positively write on his home page? Just to that club which he had brought the 2nd "Championship of the Hearts" due to his passes in that wonderful May 2007 – which also had been printed on shirts? The fans from Gelsenkirchen still think the same about these facts! Certainly, the monthly paychecks from Sch...e might have played a major role for his uncommon decision. Hard times followed for Christoph Metzelder, when Sch...e fans blamed him for lacking quickness and false positional play. Even Sch...e's coach, the "magic" Felix Magath described Metzelder's present achievements as "disappointing". Arguments could not yet be confirmed that Metzelder only was engaged due to his excellent rhetorical skills as a press relations officer.

The list of the black'n yellow / blue and white changes within the Bundesliga is not at its end with this chart, but due to lack of space and time we will finish at this point. But for a total completion there should be mentioned:

Jürgen Sobieray, Defender
Gelsenkirchen 1969 – 1979, BVB 1980 – 1982

Werner Lorant, Defender
BVB 1971 – 1973, Gelsenkirchen1982 – 1983
Paul Holz – Midfielder
Gelsenkirchen 1971 – 1974, BVB 1979 – 1981

Peter Endrulat – Goal Keeper
Gelsenkirchen 1973 – 1975, BVB 1976 – 1978

Achim Wagner, Midfielder
Gelsenkirchen until 1974, BVB 1974 – 1983

Norbert Dörmann – Defender
Gelsenkirchen 1976 – 1979, BVB 1979 – 1981

Toni Schumacher – Goal Keeper coach / Goal Keeper
Gelsenkirchen 1987 – 1988, BVB 1995 – 1996 (the goal keeper coach played 2 minutes for BVB in the last home match in the year of the championship 1996 vs. SC Freiburg! Thank you, Ottmar Hitzfeld!)

Marco Kurz – Defender
BVB 1994 – 1995, Gelsenkirchen 1995 – 1998

And now for the close-up you will find two names, who did not play for black'n yellow and blue white on the green, but in the chronicle of both clubs their names are fixed:

Rudi Assauer, Midfielder
BVB professional 1964 – 1970, later manager of Sch...e, star in TV beer commercials as well as singer of the smash hit "Wenn der Schnee schmilzt, siehst Du wo die Kacke liegt" ("After the snow has melted you can see the shit again") – long before the damage on the roof of Sch...e's stadium this winter.

Michael Skibbe, Midfielder
Gelsenkirchen professional 1984 – 1986, BVB coach 1989 – 2000 thereof coach of Dortmund's Bundesliga team 1999 - 2000.

As you can see a lot of changes between black'n yellow and blue white! Some of them not very spectacular and nearly forgotten – others gave input for discussions until now.

And who knows what names will be mentioned in about 10 years, in case a similar article of this kind will be written again...

Henry, 31.01.2011

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