When Marco Reus and his mates Mario Götze and André Schürrle chat with each other on “WhatsApp”, they do so on a group chat named “Zweieinhalb Weltmeister” [“Two and a half World Champions”]; a consolatory nod the fact that Marco’s unfortunate injury kept him out of Germany’s successful World Cup squad. Despite being one of the best footballers in Germany, however, Reus’ is still yet to win a major trophy. This evening is the chance to change that. Reus is ready for the challenge for VfL Wolfsburg in the DFB Cup final (20:00 CEST).
The day after the final in Berlin will be a day for celebration for Reus. Perhaps anyway. The mood is yet to be determined, and it depends a lot on the outcome of the final, however one this remains certain: Marco Reus turns 26 the day after the final.
Reus is still waiting for a major trophy
26 – by now players have usually outgrown the status of baby faced heartthrob, but Reus’ popularity by young football fans, both boys and girls, is as strong as ever. He has 12.3 million fans on Facebook and should he ever miss a training session, social media explodes with virtual tears. He posts a picture on Instagram and within seconds he has hundreds, if not thousands of likes. And when he releases his own range of clothing, as he did at the beginning of the year, with all proceeds going to a good cause, they sell out in record time.
Reus, this exhilarating, fast, skilful footballer has an exceptional status. Not just in Dortmund either. He is living proof that success is the only key to popularity, as 2012’s Footballer of the Year has still never won a major trophy. With BVB he has been runner up in the league on two occasions (2013, 2014), whilst in 2013 he also lost in the Champions League final against FC Bayern in London. One year on and once again he fell to the hands of the Munich side in the DFB Cup final in 2014. At the very least he was able to celebrate the Super Cup with Dortmund on two occasions.
Celebrated World Cup win from the sofa
The biggest drama, however, came last summer. Reus was one of the first names on Joachim Löw’s team sheet ahead of the World Cup in Brazil, but for the unfortunate injury during the final test before the team flew out to Camp Bahia. He suffered a serious ankle injury during the 6-1 thrashing of Armenia and had to be carried off the pitch and by the time the game had finished, he was lying in a hospital bed.
One month later, the German team celebrated a historic win in the legendary Maracanã stadium, without the bitterly disappointed Reus. But when his team mates hung a Reus shirt up to the cameras in the calamitous moments after the final against Argentina, Reus had no idea. “I had already switched off the TV at that point and gone to bed”, admitted Reus. A sentence that reveals a lot about how he must have felt in that moment, as the rest of Germany celebrated the euphoria of the national teams fourth World Cup win.
Back to the present, twelve months later, and Reus has yet another chance at glory in the DFB Cup final – at the end of one of the most difficult seasons for BVB in many years. And his influence he has had on his team’s revival, since his return from injury, cannot be understated. It is a statistical fact that BVB collected a lot more points with their star, than without. He was direcly involved in 12 goals (seven scored and five assisted) in his 20 league appearances, whilst in the Champions League it was three goals and an assist, as well as a goal in the DFB Cup. More importantly than all of that though, was that he signed a contract extension to stay at BVB until 2019.
"BVB are my club. It is a decision for my life"
For months there was speculation about his future, and there were many who saw it away from Dortmund. There were rumours about FC Bayern, as well as Real Madrid and many other top European Clubs, who not only offered a greater chance of winning trophies, but also more money. Reus however, who has grown into a star player at BVB, as well as maturing greatly, decided to stay at home. To stay close to his home, as well as to play for his childhood club, where he returned in 2012 after spells at Stationen Ahlen and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The celebrations among BVB fans when he signed his new contracts were unparalleled. In the blink of an eye, the mood around the club changed to one of hope and optimism for the future, which no doubt inspired their fight back up the table by the end of the season. “You are one of the main reasons why I extended my contract”, said Reus, addressing his beloved fans. “I grew up here, was born here. BVB are my club. It’s a decision for my life. Family and friends mean more than anything and now I can play more freely.
Even if Reus would have great chances of winning titles elsewhere, his craving for titles remains strong. In Berlin his has the chance to finally clinch his first title, whilst burying the despair of last year’s disappointment. “It will be a great final against a great opponent. But we give everything we can because we want to bring the cup home”, promised Reus to the fans. He personally will hope to put on a good performance, as the time is ripe for Marco Reus to finally put a trophy to his name.
created by mmc/jm
When Marco Reus and his mates Mario Götze and André Schürrle chat with each other on “WhatsApp”, they do so on a group chat named “Zweieinhalb Weltmeister” [“Two and a half World Champions”]; a consolatory nod the fact that Marco’s unfortunate injury kept him out of Germany’s successful World Cup squad. Despite being one of the best footballers in Germany, however, Reus’ is still yet to win a major trophy. This evening is the chance to change that. Reus is ready for the challenge for VfL Wolfsburg in the DFB Cup final (20:00 CEST).
The day after the final in Berlin will be a day for celebration for Reus. Perhaps anyway. The mood is yet to be determined, and it depends a lot on the outcome of the final, however one this remains certain: Marco Reus turns 26 the day after the final.
Reus is still waiting for a major trophy
26 – by now players have usually outgrown the status of baby faced heartthrob, but Reus’ popularity by young football fans, both boys and girls, is as strong as ever. He has 12.3 million fans on Facebook and should he ever miss a training session, social media explodes with virtual tears. He posts a picture on Instagram and within seconds he has hundreds, if not thousands of likes. And when he releases his own range of clothing, as he did at the beginning of the year, with all proceeds going to a good cause, they sell out in record time.
Reus, this exhilarating, fast, skilful footballer has an exceptional status. Not just in Dortmund either. He is living proof that success is the only key to popularity, as 2012’s Footballer of the Year has still never won a major trophy. With BVB he has been runner up in the league on two occasions (2013, 2014), whilst in 2013 he also lost in the Champions League final against FC Bayern in London. One year on and once again he fell to the hands of the Munich side in the DFB Cup final in 2014. At the very least he was able to celebrate the Super Cup with Dortmund on two occasions.
Celebrated World Cup win from the sofa
The biggest drama, however, came last summer. Reus was one of the first names on Joachim Löw’s team sheet ahead of the World Cup in Brazil, but for the unfortunate injury during the final test before the team flew out to Camp Bahia. He suffered a serious ankle injury during the 6-1 thrashing of Armenia and had to be carried off the pitch and by the time the game had finished, he was lying in a hospital bed.
One month later, the German team celebrated a historic win in the legendary Maracanã stadium, without the bitterly disappointed Reus. But when his team mates hung a Reus shirt up to the cameras in the calamitous moments after the final against Argentina, Reus had no idea. “I had already switched off the TV at that point and gone to bed”, admitted Reus. A sentence that reveals a lot about how he must have felt in that moment, as the rest of Germany celebrated the euphoria of the national teams fourth World Cup win.
Back to the present, twelve months later, and Reus has yet another chance at glory in the DFB Cup final – at the end of one of the most difficult seasons for BVB in many years. And his influence he has had on his team’s revival, since his return from injury, cannot be understated. It is a statistical fact that BVB collected a lot more points with their star, than without. He was direcly involved in 12 goals (seven scored and five assisted) in his 20 league appearances, whilst in the Champions League it was three goals and an assist, as well as a goal in the DFB Cup. More importantly than all of that though, was that he signed a contract extension to stay at BVB until 2019.
"BVB are my club. It is a decision for my life"
For months there was speculation about his future, and there were many who saw it away from Dortmund. There were rumours about FC Bayern, as well as Real Madrid and many other top European Clubs, who not only offered a greater chance of winning trophies, but also more money. Reus however, who has grown into a star player at BVB, as well as maturing greatly, decided to stay at home. To stay close to his home, as well as to play for his childhood club, where he returned in 2012 after spells at Stationen Ahlen and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The celebrations among BVB fans when he signed his new contracts were unparalleled. In the blink of an eye, the mood around the club changed to one of hope and optimism for the future, which no doubt inspired their fight back up the table by the end of the season. “You are one of the main reasons why I extended my contract”, said Reus, addressing his beloved fans. “I grew up here, was born here. BVB are my club. It’s a decision for my life. Family and friends mean more than anything and now I can play more freely.
Even if Reus would have great chances of winning titles elsewhere, his craving for titles remains strong. In Berlin his has the chance to finally clinch his first title, whilst burying the despair of last year’s disappointment. “It will be a great final against a great opponent. But we give everything we can because we want to bring the cup home”, promised Reus to the fans. He personally will hope to put on a good performance, as the time is ripe for Marco Reus to finally put a trophy to his name.
