Germany’s football capital is abuzz for the start of the new season. 76 days after the final home game of the 2016-17 season against Werder Bremen, today the Strobelallee was again a sea of black and yellow as 50,000 fans celebrated the start of the new season.

In fine weather, Borussia Dortmund fans young and old enjoyed a relaxed afternoon in and around the Signal Iduna Park, with a wide range of fun recreational activities on offer. EMMA and Snoopy were particularly popular, and the fans revelled in a friendly atmosphere.

At 7pm the players and coaching staff were presented to their fans, where a crowd of 25,000 in the Signal Iduna Park hailed Aubameyang, Götze and co with rousing ovations. Norbert Dickel announced the familiar faces before introducing the new arrivals, both on the playing and coaching staff. The only players missing were Marco Reus and Raphael Guerreiro, both recovering from injury, and Emre Mor, who was suffering from illness.

The team then held their final training session before the Super Cup against Bayern Munich the next day. André Schürrle, nursing a light injury, and Mario Götze, with a slight back problem, sat out the session. (br)