Karim Adeyemi came on as a substitute at the end of the duel against VfB Stuttgart. The BVB offensive player followed up the gun case with a goal. He acknowledged this in a clear manner. He didn’t talk about the case, taking charge of his teammates.
The E in the goal as a statement. Karim Adeyemi followed up his scoring streak to make it 3-2 against VfB Stuttgart with a clear move. Adeyemi did not reveal what exactly the 23-year-old Borussia Dortmund national striker meant – he did not give any interviews after the wild 3:3 (2:0). But his continued snapping of his right hand was probably meant to make it clear: “Let them talk.”
And there’s been a lot of talk about Adeyemi in recent days after a criminal warrant against him for illegal gun possession was made public. “Of course it would be very unpleasant if something like that were to come out. It would be a pity. What do you want to do in the end?” said BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel – apparently slightly amused.
BVB management spoke about intensive exchanges with Adeyemi
The problem is serious for Adeyemi. He had to pay 450,000 euros. “What a penalty,” Kobel said. According to his own statements, Adeyemi has long been ordering so-called “Mystery Boxes” on the Internet. The package “also contained items that are not permitted under weapons laws. Several months later, the package was delivered and coincidentally it was not opened at the police,” Adeyemi reported publicly last week after the case was discovered.
BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl and sporting director Lars Ricken spoke about the intensive exchanges with their players on Saturday on the sidelines of the match against VfB. Coach Niko Kovac reacted quite calmly, at least in public, assuring him of all support, but still left Adeyemi on the bench for 77 minutes against VfB. And although Stuttgart restricted BVB after leading 2-0 at the break, there was hardly any relief left.
When Adeyemi came, it was like an explosion, as if he wanted to show it to everyone. “That’s the reaction you need,” Kobel said of Adeyemi’s supposed winning goal (89), which was answered by Deniz Undav’s third on Saturday (90+1). The situation is certainly not easy,” Kovac said of Adeyemi. “He’s very fast, he’s very strong. He has speed, quickness, directness. That’s what differentiates it. That’s what I want to see from him from the start.” To do that, Adeyemi just needs to play from the start.
According to Kovac, the fact that he didn’t do it against VfB had nothing to do with the gun possession thing, but simply with Adeyemi’s trip to the national team, while the BVB coach could train with the rest of the attack in Dortmund. For all Dortmund’s delight at Adeyemi’s late goal after a substitution, it was fitting of their situation that even though Adeyemi won 3-2, the win was not enough for Dortmund to win, even if this was certainly deserved given Stuttgart’s fine performance. If the 3-2 score had lasted until the end, Adeyemi’s celebration would have been even bigger. Even so, the answer on the ground is clear.
pk/dpa
