Borussia Dortmund left Baku with three Champions League points and an unusual post-match routine, with the squad bypassing the showers at the Olympic Stadium after their 2-1 win over Sabah.
Key takeaways
- Dortmund beat Sabah 2-1 in Tuesday’s Matchday 3 fixture in Baku.
- The German side did not use the stadium changing-room showers after the match or after the previous day’s training session.
- Coach Niko Kovac said the team had been advised not to shower at the venue.
- Concerns centred on a possible legionella risk linked to infrequent use of the Olympic Stadium.
- Sabah rejected suggestions of any shower issue and pointed to their own recent use of the facilities.
- Sabah will host Barcelona on 25 November in the fifth round of the Champions League.
Dortmund take precautions after Baku victory
The visitors’ decision was not linked to the condition or cleanliness of the facilities themselves. Dortmund’s concern was that the Baku Olympic Stadium is used only occasionally and is not Sabah’s regular home ground, raising the possibility of legionella bacteria developing in its water pipes.
The precaution applied across the visit. Dortmund’s players also avoided showering at the stadium following their pre-match training session, instead returning to their hotel after both training and the game.
Kovac confirmed the instruction received by his side, saying: “We were told not to shower here.”
Sporting director Ole Book offered a lighter explanation, saying the hotel showers were simply more appealing and that Dortmund had arranged for the players to get back there quickly. He described the stadium facilities as less elegant than those at the team hotel.
Sabah dispute suggestion of a problem
Sabah denied that there was any issue with the showers at the Olympic Stadium. Their player Joy-Lance Mickels expressed surprise at Dortmund’s decision, noting that Sabah had used the same facilities before their Champions League meeting with Slavia Prague the previous week.
The episode added an unexpected footnote to a night in which Dortmund secured a valuable away result in the competition. For Sabah, attention now turns to another major European occasion in Baku, with Barcelona due to visit on 25 November for Matchday 5.
