Bild: Fearing Bacteria, Dortmund Players Refused to Shower at Sabah's Home Ground After the Match

October 22 – According to Bild, after beating Sabah 2-1 away in the Champions League, Borussia Dortmund's players did not use the shower facilities at Baku Olympic Stadium and instead boarded the team bus straight back to the hotel. Bild reports that Dortmund's decision was driven by concerns over a possible legionella risk in the stadium's water supply.

Fresh from the Champions League victory, 26-year-old Nico Schlotterbeck and his teammates climbed onto the team bus still covered in sweat, without showering at the stadium. The sight raised eyebrows.

In fact, Dortmund's players had already avoided using the Olympic Stadium's showers after their final pre-match training session on Monday.

Dortmund head coach Niko Kovač, 55, explained after the match: "We didn't shower here after training yesterday either. We were told not to shower here and to shower back at the hotel instead, which is why we returned to the hotel so quickly."

Sporting director Ole Book said in the mixed zone: "I think the hotel's shower facilities are probably more appealing, so we wanted the players to get back there as soon as possible."

When pressed further, Book added: "More appealing — you can imagine for yourselves. The shower area here isn't particularly nice."

However, Dortmund's refusal to shower at the stadium left the hosts Sabah puzzled.

Sabah player Joy-Lance Mickels, 32, told Sky Sports: "I don't know what the problem is. I'm not trying to point fingers at Dortmund. We showered there before our match against Slavia Prague last week. The facilities are very good, and there's no issue with the water being too cold."

In fact, the stadium's showers appear clean and well-maintained at first glance. No obvious problems are visible from photos, making Sabah's confusion over Dortmund's refusal even greater.

So why did Dortmund make this decision?

According to Bild, Dortmund were unwilling to take any risks regarding the showers. A key reason was the club's concern over a potential legionella risk in the stadium's water system. If water does not flow through the pipes regularly, it can create conditions for legionella bacteria to breed. The bacteria can be inhaled, particularly during showering, through fine aerosolised droplets. Dortmund therefore decided, as a precaution, to have the players shower back at their hotel.

In addition, Dortmund had reserved the hotel's spa area for the team in advance. The club wanted the players to return to the hotel as soon as possible after the match and begin their recovery in better conditions. Given the travel fatigue from several days of continuous movement, Dortmund wanted to create the best possible recovery conditions for their players.

So rather than showering at the stadium, Dortmund preferred to have their players board the bus still sweaty and shower after returning to the hotel.

Source: Bild