Dortmund has always had a loud slogan, and that is "Echte Liebe", which means "true love". That love flowed from the warm stands at Signal Iduna Park and translated into billions of euros that flowed into the club's coffers.
Tomorrow morning, when Ousmane Dembele returns to Dortmund, he will have to face boos and ridicule. Fans in the Ruhr area have yet to forgive the former traitor. In the summer of 2017, the Frenchman did everything he could to make a move to Barcelona.
For the upcoming Dortmund vs Paris Saint-Germain match, the prediction will start at 2am on May 2. However, Dortmund's leadership must be grateful for Dembele's transfer. Dembele's transfer fee of €135 million was the most expensive sale contract in Borussia Dortmund's history, and it was undoubtedly a powerful impetus for the German team, which was in financial trouble at the time.
Ousmane Dembele, the name became synonymous with the most expensive sale contract in Dortmund's history. Unlike Dembele's conflicting departure, Jude Bellingham received the club's affectionate blessing when he left Borussia Dortmund to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2023. The Ruhr side took €103 million from the transfer, more than three times the amount they paid to bring in Bellingham from Birmingham three years ago.
Dembele and Bellingham, who represent two of the most expensive contracts sold by Borussia Dortmund. Despite the very different ways of leaving, both are undoubtedly Dortmund's carefully crafted "commodities".
People sometimes wonder if Dortmund exist to compete for honour or just to make money by selling players, who are obviously Bayern's biggest rivals in the last decade, but they are also always willing to sell their best players.
In the 21st century, Dortmund have recouped €115 million through the sale of players. During this time, they have won 3 Bundesliga titles, 3 German Cups, and 3 German Super Cups. Despite the results, Dortmund could have created an even more glorious era if they had not made selling their stars a priority. Imagine a "super horror" squad with players such as Robert Lewandowski, Gundogan, Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, Bellingham, Manuel Akanji, Achraf Hakimi and more.
The slogan "Echte Liebe" conveys a deep love for Dortmund. This slogan was born in 2009 to commemorate the club's 100th anniversary. At that time, Hans-Joachim Watzke and former Dortmund marketing director Markus Rejak discussed and decided to find a slogan that could compete with Bayern's "Mia san mia". They needed a slogan that was characteristic of Dortmund and wanted it to spread all over the world.
"Echte Liebe", which means "true love", shows the most emotional aspects of the Ruhr team, whether it's the "golden stands" of Signal Iduna Park, or the fierce style of play of Jurgen Klopp's era and the pride that emanates from the team.
"Real Love"成功地捕捉到了鲁尔区人民的热情精神。 2014年,布伦瑞克工业大学将"Real Love"评为德甲最强大的口号,超越了拜仁的"Mia san mia"。
Therefore, when one thinks of Dortmund, one thinks of the "Yellow Wall" and the fanatical love of football among the people of the Ruhr area, which is unmatched anywhere else in the world. Dortmund has become a romantic football mecca, full of love and passion.
However, this love has been cleverly portrayed and packaged by marketing gurus. The end result is a transfer deal that buys low and sells high. Dortmund's true love may be reflected in the jumping numbers in these transfer seasons.