Personae Non Gratae

The BVB's top scorer forced his 2018 transfer to Arsenal in disrespectful fashion. He drove himself to the airport in a golden SUV and flew to England by private jet without a proper farewell. Despite a later Instagram apology to fans, the impression of ingratitude remained. After the flamboyant striker departed, some calm finally returned to the Dortmund camp.

Under President Gerd Niebaum, Dortmund rose to Champions League winners but then nearly collapsed. His megalomaniac expansion plans, the stock market listing in October 2000, and reckless spending brought the club to the brink of insolvency by 2005. Bayern Munich and even rivals Schalke 04 had to help rescue Borussia Dortmund from financial ruin.

In April 2017, three explosive devices detonated next to the BVB team bus en route to a Champions League quarterfinal against Monaco. Defender Marc Bartra was injured by shrapnel. The perpetrator, identified only as Sergej W., had placed the bombs not for ideological reasons but to profit from a fall in BVB's share price through put options he had purchased.

Florian Homm was a hedge fund manager whose speculative dealings with the BVB board under President Gerd Niebaum contributed to the financial crisis that nearly bankrupted the club by 2005. His involvement in complex financial instruments tied to BVB's stock market listing exemplifies the reckless management that characterized Dortmund's darkest chapter. When the house of cards collapsed, it took Bayern Munich and even rivals Schalke to rescue Borussia from insolvency.