Having completed their performance diagnostics tests on Monday and Tuesday, the BVB players could finally get back to what they love the most: kicking a ball about on the pitch. On Wednesday, Edin Terzic welcomed his players to the training ground for the first session of the 2022/23 pre-season.

1,300 supporters applauded in welcome as the players arrived to the youth stadium at the Dortmund-Brackel training ground for the public session. 19 players – many of whom are youth footballers – made up the training group. Goalkeeper Alexander Meyer was the only new signing present. The injured first team players and the internationals, who were in Nations League action until mid-June and will not start their performance diagnostics until 9 July, were absent from the session. Emre Can and Felix Passlack returned to the club on Monday but will be supervised individually over the coming days. Among the seven senior players in attendance at the first training session was Mateu Morey, who completed all parts of a team training session for the first time since his serious knee injury.

Edin Terzic and his assistant coaches Sebastian Geppert and Peter Hermann kicked off the new era with a short team-talk, before the players got back on the ball for the first time and completed passing drills. The spectators then applauded every goal scored in a game scenario involving six small goals. Finally, the athletics coaches had their turn and put the players through running drills.

"It was fun to finally be back on the pitch and I believe we're all raring to go," said Mats Hummels, before adding: "The public training sessions are fun. It's great to see that the fans are up for it again."

After the training session, the players took plenty of time to fulfil autograph and photograph requests from the BVB fans.
Christina Reinke