Football
Stephan Uersfeld, Germany correspondent 9y

Dortmund hit back at Dresden's Dennis Erdmann for Marco Reus tackle, taunt

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc says Dennis Erdmann has no place in football after the Dynamo Dresden player followed up his game-ending tackle on Marco Reus by taunting the Germany international.

Reus, 25, suffered a bruised knee in Dortmund's German Cup win at Dresden on Tuesday, limping off the pitch after only 24 minutes after an off-the-ball foul by former Schalke player Erdmann. The forward is now a major injury doubt for BVB's Bundesliga trip to Hamburg on Saturday.

However, 24-year-old defender Erdmann later told reporters that it was not a real foul because Reus ran against his knee, saying: "I played in the Kreisliga [the lowest division in German football] in the past. There, you'd have only looked at it, rubbed it, and played on. But I don't think that's common in the Bundesliga business these days."

Zorc hit back at the Dresden man, telling Die Welt on Wednesday: "His comments are impudent. He kicks [Reus] off the pitch, even though the ball was not anywhere near. Such a player should not be on a pitch at all, not even in Kreisliga."

Elsewhere, a row between TV commentator Marcel Reif and Dortmund fans has escalated. The Sky reporter's car was allegedly attacked by BVB supporters when he tried to get to the stadium through the masses of fans ahead of the Revierderby last Saturday.

Reif then claimed he had little understanding for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus' Batman & Robin goal celebration. Asked about Reif's statement on the news conference prior to the Dresden clash, Klopp said that the commentator has lost his humour.

In Dresden, while walking past the Dortmund away fans, Reif was verbally insulted by Dortmund fans, and after sarcastically applauding, received a beer shower with fans throwing their drinks on him.

Speaking on German TV last night, Reif linked Klopp to the attacks and said that his recent statements "were out of place and irresponsible" and added that the BVB coach stirred up the fans, saying: "A sentence like that is reckless."

The commentator and BVB have a long history of rows. In the mid-1990s, Reif was sung down by the complete stadium on one occasion, and in late 2008 he urged Klopp to head back into the second division because of his sideline antics.

Acording to a report in Die Welt, Sky could consider security for the commentator on his next trip to Dortmund.

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