Borussia Dortmund are halfway-through their preparations for the second half of the season. On Sunday, the team returned from their training camp in La Manga, but there’s no time for a breather. “We still have a great deal left to do,” said Jürgen Klopp. On Monday, the players had individual training programmes, and on Tuesday there will be two training sessions.

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“The slogan for the second half of the season is 'Only BVB'. Everyone has to give their best,” said the Dortmund coach in an interview with BVB total!, and looked back positively on the training camp. “We had a lot of good moments as we were able to work with each other in a proper way for the first time this season. In the seven-week preseason in the summer we didn’t have as many sessions together as now in Spain. That’s why I believe that things will now really get started for us. Everyone’s fully focused and building up confidence.”

Klopp called the training conditions at La Manga “fantastic” as the team was able to strop drills when needed and talk about tactical things on the pitch, something that due to the weather wouldn’t have been possible in Germany at this time of the year. Klopp explained, “We can’t hand out fur coats every time we take a break, can we…”

“I know this team can achieve a lot“

“We’ve worked really hard on our fitness to recharge the batteries with power and positive energy,” said Klopp. “I would have liked the world to see how hard and focused the lads practiced last week. It was really good.”

Twelve days before the Bundesliga resumes with a trip to Leverkusen, the Borussia Dortmund admitted that he’s “tensed up, but optimistic about our future. To say we are not able to make up four points on any team in the table would be unreasonably pessimistic. I’m a positive person, but I’m not naively optimistic. I know this team can achieve a lot.”