Borussia Dortmund will have to do without top striker Erling Haaland these weeks.
The Norwegian currently spends his days in Doha at 25 degrees in the sun – but not to go on vacation. Or not only – the BVB attacker will probably treat himself to some relaxation after a stressful season. (Results and schedule of the Bundesliga)
However, Haaland is primarily staying in Qatar for his rehab to recover from a torn muscle fiber in his hip flexor. Despite the global corona pandemic, the 20-year-old even thought it a good idea to travel to Qatar, 6,000 kilometers away.
Rummenigge: “Best training facility in world football”
For his regeneration, he uses the Aspire Academy in Doha. There, FC Bayern always trains in the winter training camp and makes use of the extremely modern and highly professional conditions – the criticism of human rights violations in Qatar has already been ignored.
Bavaria’s CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge even described the Aspire Academy a few years ago as the “best training facility in world football.” Seven soccer fields, a rehabilitation center and the 5-star hotel “Al Aziziyah Doha” in close proximity to each other characterize the academy. In addition, there is the warm climate compared to the cold winter in Germany.
The training center opened in 2004 and cost more than $ 750 million. The German record champions seem to like it there very much, since 2011 they have been guests for a training camp ten times.
Zorc explains Haaland’s stay in Doha
Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp also traveled to Doha a year ago after a shoulder injury to get fit at the Aspire Academy. “I know the place where he is in Doha,” said his coach Adi Hütter at the time. “I’ve been there myself before. Kevin has contacts there and that’s how it came about. It’s something extraordinary.”
At BVB, however, Haaland’s plans first had to be convinced, as BVB sports director Michael Zorc explained: “That was his wish to go through rehab there. He is surrounded by experts who are also in contact with our medical department, and who can look after him around the clock. “
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That’s why the club agreed in the end: “The first progress has already been made. We have already received a few pictures and we assume, so we have agreed with him, that he will adhere to the local hygiene rules.”
According to Zorc, Haaland should return to Dortmund before Christmas and be “ready for action again afterwards”. Then at the latest it will become clear whether the Dortmunders should not have better refused their consent.
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