What Reus's new contract means to Dortmund
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
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"Marco could shape an era here, like Uwe Seeler did at Hamburg," said Borussia Dortmund's CEO, with Marco Reus's commitment to the club a massive boost for fans.
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For fans of Borussia Dortmund, the announcement that Marco Reus has agreed a two-year contract extension – binding him to the club until 2019 – was even more of a lift than Saturday's vital 3-0 victory at SC Freiburg, which gave them a much-needed boost in their relegation battle.
Dortmund have amazingly found themsleves scuffing around the foot of the Bundesliga table this season, and were rock-bottom going into Saturday's game. Their result against Freiburg was confirmation for many that Jürgen Klopp's side were indeed too good to go down, but the fact they have convinced the 25-year-old Reus to commit will allay fears that the star midfielder could leave in the summer.
Still alive in the UEFA Champions League, Dortmund will now hope to produce a strong finish in the Bundesliga and start preparing for a new assault on the title in the close season. Reus will be at the heart of those plans for the future. Following a series of injuries – including one that meant he watched Germany's 2014 FIFA World Cup final triumph at home with a cast on his leg – he has much to prove, and is seemingly determined to prove it at Dortmund.
Reus's pace, anticipation and finishing can cause serious headaches for opposition defences, and Dortmund are eager to see the locally-born Reus fulfil his potential close to home. CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said: "Marco could shape an era here, like Uwe Seeler did at Hamburg or Steven Gerrard at Liverpool. The fact Marco has chosen to stay with BVB in the midst of a sporting crisis shows what the club means to him, and we are very proud of that."
By signing Kevin Kampl from FC Salzburg during the winter, Dortmund have brought in a player whose skills should complement Reus's very well. If they can stave off any more injuries, and build up some rhythm, the Schwarzgelben have the potential to be a real handful in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds.
The German media, meanwhile, are trumpeting Reus's decision to remain with Dortmund – as opposed to heading abroad – as another measure of the strength of the Bundesliga. With André Schürrle returning to his home country to play for VfL Wolfsburg and Reus pledging his future to BVB, supporters have two more reasons to keep filling German stadiums in the years ahead.