Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke dismissed claims that the re-introduced Jadon Sancho was tough to handle, stating the England winger “has no problems with discipline.”
Sancho was selected on the bench for Dortmund’s Bundesliga encounter against Darmstadt on Saturday, after rejoining the club on a six-month loan from Manchester United on Thursday.
Before the game, the Dortmund manager told Sky Germany that the club had little concerns with Sancho, who spent four years at the Westfallenstadion from 2017 to 2021.
“Jadon has no problem with discipline” according to Watzke. “I don’t know who thought that up.”
“The lad has a bit of a problem with his internal clock and can be a bit late from time to time.”
Watzke said that Sancho has preserved his dribbling abilities, referring to him as “a friend of the ball.”
Watzke believes “some journalists appear to have him mixed up with (Ousmane) Dembele,” who played one season at the club before striking to force a transfer to Barcelona in 2017.
After winning the German Cup at the conclusion of the 2021 season, Sancho joined United for a cost of £73 million ($93 million, 85 million euros).
Sancho had been sidelined at United for the most of the season following a public fight with manager Erik ten Hag, who claimed he had not dedicated himself in training.
In September, the 23-year-old claimed on social media that he had been made a “scapegoat” for the club’s dismal performance.
Despite completing the deal only 48 hours ago, Dortmund manager Edin Terzic suggested that Sancho will receive some playing time, telling Sky Sports that “we hope that he can influence the game today.”
Dortmund are sixth in the table, six points behind fourth-placed RB Leipzig.