BVB’s U23s have played a weak season so far. Now there are more problems. The planned reconstruction of the Rote Erde stadium is delayed further.

That too! Borussia Dortmund’s U23 is in a sporting crisis at the latest after the 0:3 defeat at Dynamo Dresden. Not much is left of the refreshing attacking football under Enrico Maaßen, with which last year’s promoted team thrilled the 3rd division last season.

The goal difference of 3:13 after seven games speaks for itself. With just four points, coach Christian Preußer’s team is in penultimate place. This season, BVB’s youth team is probably playing against relegation.

But it would be too easy to blame the sporting downturn on the short-term and unplanned change of coach. The footballing bloodletting, especially in the offensive, was simply too great. After losing Ansgar Knauff to Eintracht Frankfurt in the second half of last season, the late departure of Bradley Fink to FC Basel without a replacement was particularly painful. He had actually been firmly planned as the successor to the professional centre-forward Steffen Tigges, who was often used in the U23s and who has now pitched his tent at 1. FC Köln.

It would be all the more important for the young and newly formed team to have the support of their own fans in the home games in familiar surroundings. But now, of all times, there is more bad news. The reconstruction of the Rote Erde stadium is still delayed.

In the coming days, BVB will announce where it will play its last five first-round home games. The professional venue Signal-Iduna-Park, where U23 has been playing so far this season, will be used for the last time on Saturday against VfB Oldenburg (14.00). After that, the strain on the pitch from the Champions League games and the expected autumn weather will be too great. The plan is to return to the Rote Erde stadium for the second half of the season.

But that is by no means certain. Because the reconstruction work could take even longer. “An expert had determined that clearly pronounced so-called loose zones and cavities were to be expected in the subsoil due to the mining near the surface below the pitch and the running track,” the city of Dortmund informed RevierSport. “As before, an extension of the construction period for the exploration and securing measures of at least three months is to be expected.”

At the earliest, modernisation could begin at the end of October. “Only when the backfilling work is completed can the playing field surface, including turf heating, be renewed and the construction of the athletics facilities start.” The city’s conclusion: “In view of current developments, it is currently not possible to predict when the stadium will be available again for athletics and for matches of BVB’s U23 team. “