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16th Jan 2024

Dortmund CEO accidentally confirms Erik ten Hag’s claims about Jadon Sancho

Lee Costello

“Jadon only has one problem.”

Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke accidentally confirmed that Erik ten Hag’s criticism of Jadon Sancho was true, when ironically trying to defend the winger.

Sancho has left his nightmare situation at Man United by returning to Dortmund on loan, the club that the Red Devil’s bought him from back in the summer of 2021.

United manager Ten Hag openly criticised the Englishman, claiming that his discipline and professionalism were not up to the required standard, which resulted in Sancho replying on social media claiming that he was being used as a scapegoat.

Since then, the two have been at a stalemate with the 23-year-old training in exile until he apologised, something which he refused to do.

Erik ten Hag says he “had issues all the way through” with Jadon Sancho.

Ten Hag repeated his opinion about the young star after his departure to Germany, underlining once again that he lacked discipline.

“He’s now at Dortmund. So after he was signed, one year before [I was here], and there were issues. We have had issues all the way through, and so you can make out his stay at Manchester United so far is not a success.

“So now he is going back to Borussia Dortmund, so I wish him the best of luck. I hope, we all hope he is doing well there, he will be successful. Again, we will see what is going to happen.

[Would things be different if he had apologised?] “We have said that before. And I don’t want every time to return to the point. He knows what he should do and we have made that clear.

“It was also so clear and obvious about his performance so let’s stop this discussion. He is to Dortmund and we wish him the best of luck.

“It’s not about discipline. It’s about normal behaviour. That is what you can expect from a top professional.

Dortmund CEO accidentally confirms Erik ten Hag’s claims about Jadon Sancho.

Jadon Sancho

Watzke, the Dortmund CEO attempted to defend their new forward, but inadvertently revealed that Ten Hag’s claims about him were in fact true,

The club CEO denied that Sancho has any behavioural problems. He told Sky Sports: “Jadon doesn’t have a discipline problem at all, I don’t know who has been saying that.

“Jadon only has one problem, he’s late from time to time. His internal clock is not so well-developed. He’s a very nice boy, but every now and then he’s late. But you have to accept that.

“What do you go to the stadium for? We don’t go there because everyone is always on time. I care about how he plays with the ball.”

“What have I done?” – Pundit in disbelief over latest Jadon Sancho situation.

During the entirety of this fallout, people were split between two camps – some thought Ten Hag was right to keep his hardline approach, while others thought he was throwing the attacker under the bus.

Was Sancho at fault? Paul Merson thought so. “Of course it is,” he told Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday. “He could’ve gone in to the manager and said sorry, even if you didn’t mean it just go in and say it.

“He will look back on this when his career finishes at 30, 32 whatever age he is and he’ll think ‘I’ve just signed for the biggest club in the world and I threw it all away.’ That’s the problem with football sometimes now.

Jadon Sancho

“They get money so quickly that is doesn’t matter, it’s just a case of ‘I’ve failed’ but the lad had it at his feet. He’ll go to Dortmund, he’ll get his goals and chances but it’s not English football, you give the ball out to the winger, one-v-one, they want to see goals in Germany.

“He will look back on his career and think: ‘What have I done?’ He is to blame, just go into the manager, throw it on him and then you’ve cleaned up your side of the street but he’s cut his nose to spite his face, it’s a shame.

“I don’t think the fans would have it (Sancho coming back), you got given an unbelievable opportunity at this football club and you didn’t even want to apologise.”

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