According to his own words, his move from VfB Stuttgart to Borussia Dortmund only became a concrete issue for national soccer player Waldemar Anton late on. “I felt extremely comfortable in Stuttgart. And for a long time, I hadn’t even considered moving,” said the 28-year-old in an interview with the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” and the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” (Saturday). “Immediately after last season, I didn’t expect a move in the summer of 2024 either.”
Emotional return on Sunday
Like striker Serhou Guirassy, Anton moved to Dortmund and will now return to his old stomping ground for the first time on Sunday (5.30 p.m./DAZN) for a Bundesliga match. His departure caused displeasure among many fans. In January, the defense chief extended his contract in Stuttgart. He assured that he was looking forward to more years in the state.
“My words expressed exactly how I felt at that moment. Should I have used phrases and always left everything open?” said Anton. His motives for the move were not money. “It’s BVB’s ambitions.”
Anton: Comments on social media were “below the belt”
He is prepared for boos on Sunday. “I’m realistic about that,” said Anton. “But I think if you’re prepared for it, you can deal with it.”
He can understand the disappointment. “It would be nice if the issue calmed down at some point, especially for the sake of my family,” said Anton. “Because there was a lot of below-the-belt abuse on social media – not just against me, but also against my family. But savage insults in the anonymity of the internet are not just a Waldemar Anton problem, but are now a social phenomenon.”
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240921-930-238864/1
This is a message directly from the dpa news channel.
