THE SCENARIO: It is July 2016. Thomas Tuchel has stunningly resigned his position as Borussia Dortmund coach after just one season, reportedly in frustration at the club’s decision to allow Mats Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to leave this summer. German coach Dirk Lieber has been appointed as his successor but will he be able to challenge Bayern Munich’s supremacy in German football, or will the team from Westphalia have to settle for second place yet again?
Previous episodes: Episode 1
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1 August 2016
Just one match this month as we open the Bundesliga season at home against Mainz. I honestly thought we were playing Bayern in the Super Cup, but it’s as if we’re in a video game and the developers didn’t have the rights for the match…
4 August 2016
With no matches until the end of the month, most of my time is spent in training and responding to transfer offers. Young Danish winger moves on loan to Esbjerg in his homeland, while Bayern Munich make an offer for Kagawa. What, Gotze wasn’t good enough so you sell him back to us and now you want another attacking midfielder? I don’t think so, you Bavarian bullies – go look somewhere else.
7 August 2016
Another departure as transfer listed defender Park moves to Cologne, where Neven Subotic is currently on loan.
16 August 2016
More loans as midfielder David Sauerland joins Gefle in Sweden, while Swedish striker Alexander Isak joins Stuttgart. Meanwhile Dzenis Burnic joins English team Blackpool.
21 August 2016
Atletico Madrid have made an offer for Castro, who’s concerned that he won’t be getting much first team football this season. We’re competing in three tournaments this season though, so I’ll make sure he gets his chances. Our squad is also young so I’ll need experienced players like him to stick around.
Meanwhile, Roma want Passlack but I immediately reject their bid. Don’t they know we don’t sell our best young players? We develop them, let them become highly regarded, and then sell them to Bayern. Duhhhh…
28 August 2016
Borussia Dortmund vs Mainz 05
Finally it’s Spieltag 1 in the Bundesliga and Mainz are the visitors to Signal Iduna Park. We should win this, but Mainz finished 6th last season and won’t be pushovers. I employ a 4-2-3-1 formation with what I expect will be my first choice eleven. Bartra, Guerreiro, and Dembele make their competitive debuts while Kagawa is chosen ahead of Gotze as the no. 10 behind Aubameyang. Chicharito starts on the bench.
I said Mainz wouldn’t be pushovers, and I was right. They start the match looking sharp while our players look like they’re still on holiday. Inevitably they take a deserved lead in the 13th minute as Bojan crosses for Pablo de Blasis to tap in. The goal at least wakes some of our players up and Sokratis equalises with a header from a corner. I’m still not happy though, and at half-time I replace the anonymous Kagawa with Chicharito and switch to 4-4-2. The Mexican makes an immediate impact as his pass leads to Schmelzer firing us ahead, before he scores a typical tap-in on the hour mark. It ends 3-1, and we end the day top of the league.
31 August 2016
Transfer deadline day comes and goes without any activity on our part. There are some big deals involving other clubs though, as Barcelona sign Mesut Ozil from Arsenal for €76.5 million. Manchester United also spend big on €62.5 million Harry Kane. Among the German clubs, Bayern’s signing of Moussa Dembele from Tottenham is the biggest deal of the day.
Screenshots and videos taken from FIFA 17 by EA Sports
