Borussia Dortmund has decided to conduct its fourth marketing tour in Japan with a team without many well-known faces. During the one-week visit of the Bundesliga team in Osaka and Tokyo, local fans will have to do without autographs and selfies of BVB stars Nico Schlotterbeck, Gregor Kobel, Julian Ryerson, and Emre Can. While Schlotterbeck and Can are recovering from their long-term injuries, some of the World Cup players like Swiss Kobel and Norwegian Ryerson are still on vacation or are slowly starting training again in Dortmund.
The BVB has decided to leave some of its top players behind to give international fans a good impression. "We will not immediately throw them in there", said head coach Niko Kovac looking at the playing time of the World Cup players who are traveling with the team for the two planned test matches in Japan.
The BVB will play its test matches in Japan in the coming days. The results of these games will be key in evaluating the preparation for the Bundesliga season.
The BVB has intensified its preparation for the Bundesliga season in recent weeks. The team has worked in training camps in Germany and Japan to prepare for the new season. The BVB currently stands second in the Bundesliga table with 73 points from 34 games. The team has scored 70 goals and conceded 34. The BVB is 16 points behind the leaders Bayern Munich. The next BVB game is on September 12, 2026 against SC Paderborn 07.
The BVB has completed several transfer deals in recent weeks. The BVB has signed Swiss player Konstantinos Karetsas for 30 million euros from Belgian First League club KRC Genk. The BVB hopes that this transfer will strengthen the team's spirit.
