Tragic
Those who suffered misfortune
Flemming Povlsen — The "holiday European champion": Flemming Povlsen, who astonished the football world with late-call-up Denmark at the 1992 European Championship in Sweden, was supposed to become BVB’s star signing. Instead, a catastrophic knee injury sustained in training turned the dream transfer into a nightmare. Povlsen had arrived from Borussia Mönchengladbach as one of the most exciting strikers in European football, but his knee never recovered. He played just a handful of matches, each one a painful reminder of what might have been.
The club had invested heavily in a player who would never deliver on his promise — not through any fault of his own, but through the cruel lottery of sporting injury. Povlsen’s case became a cautionary tale about the fragility of football careers and the enormous financial risk clubs take when betting on human bodies.
Otto Addo — Goal with a torn cruciate: Otto Addo enjoys cult status among BVB fans. This is primarily due to one goal and one injury — both on September 24, 2003. In the European tie against Austria Wien, Addo scored the 1-0 in the 37th minute despite having torn his cruciate ligament moments earlier. BVB won 2-1; Otto Addo never played again.
Wolfgang Feiersinger — Final from the stands: Feiersinger joined Borussia Dortmund for the 1996/97 season. The Austrian defender had been a reliable performer all campaign, contributing to the defensive solidity that carried BVB to the Champions League final against Juventus in Munich. Then came the cruellest blow: Feiersinger was omitted from the matchday squad for the final itself. He watched from the stands as his teammates lifted the biggest trophy in the club’s history — a moment of supreme joy for everyone except the man who had helped make it possible. The decision, taken by coach Ottmar Hitzfeld for tactical reasons, was professionally understandable but humanly devastating.
Feiersinger never spoke publicly about his pain, but teammates later revealed that the experience haunted him. He had done everything asked of him, yet when the moment of glory arrived, he was excluded from it.
Rolf Rüßmann — An early death: Rüßmann was one of the players who represented both Borussia Dortmund (1980-1985) and Schalke 04 (1969-1973, 1974-1980). After his playing career, he worked as manager at Borussia Mönchengladbach and VfB Stuttgart. Rüßmann died on October 2, 2009 — a life cut short far too early.
KFC — Kevin’s Failed Club: From 2018, Kevin Großkreutz became the first 2014 World Cup winner to play in the 3. Liga. The Dortmund-born defender, who had been a key part of Klopp’s double-winning squad, saw his career unravel through a series of off-field incidents and diminishing form. Großkreutz was Dortmund through and through — born in the city, raised as a fan, tattooed with the club crest. His departure in 2015 began a downward spiral through Stuttgart, Galatasaray, and Darmstadt before he landed at third-division KFC Uerdingen. The sight of a World Cup winner playing in front of 3,000 spectators in Krefeld was football’s version of a Greek tragedy.
Großkreutz himself confronted his decline with a mixture of defiance and dark humour, but for BVB fans who remembered his tearful celebrations after winning the Bundesliga, the trajectory was heartbreaking. He later returned to amateur football in Dortmund’s lower leagues, full circle back to where it all began.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Flemming Povlsen?
Flemming Povlsen, Denmark's 1992 European Championship hero, suffered a career-ending cruciate ligament injury at just 28 years old while at BVB.