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Change the luck: Marco Royce dreams of a first championship plate in his career

Since the star returned to Dortmund in 2012, Bayern Munich's winning streak in the championship has begun.

The misfortune haunts the revered artist, but this season he is determined to close a decade in Borussia with a significant degree, and even gave up participating in the European Championships for that purpose.

Is it possible?

Much depends on the Classic (19:30, Sports 2)

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• Marco Reus

• Borussia Dortmund

Michael Yochin

Saturday, 04 December 2021, 11:00

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Summary: Wolfsburg - Borussia Dortmund 3: 1 (Sport 1)

"Joop Hinks wanted to bring Marco Royce to us, but he chose to go to Borussia Dortmund. He did not win too many titles there, did he?", Said Karl Heinz Romaniga with a smile recently.

And that's even an understatement.

Royce has won two German Cups in his career - and that is, if you do not count the wins in the Super Cup that is not really considered a significant title.

In fact, right there, in Royce's decision to prefer his beloved home club in the summer of 2012, Bayern's championship streak began.

The Bavarian Empire has already counted nine championship plates in a row, which means Royce has been in Dortmund for nine years.

He joined Borussia Dortmund as a champion, as a glittering reinforcement for Jürgen Klopp's fantastic attacking machine, helping him qualify for the Champions League final in his first season, but Bayern beat him at Wembley with that mythical goal by Arian Ruben - and that's it.

Since then the red control of Germany has been complete, and all of Royce's wonderful efforts to change that have come to naught.

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Gave up all the many options to leave Dortmund.

Royce (Photo: Reuters)

He was also unlucky on the team

Something in this story is a bit reminiscent of Antoine Griezmann, who came to Atletico Madrid in 2014 when she was a champion, became a superstar, but wins did not come out of it.

In 2019 he left for Barcelona, ​​which was then champions, but lost the crown with him.

Meanwhile, Atletico have won the championship again without him.

Now he's back to her, so what's the chance she's defending her degree?

Well, Griezmann at least won the World Cup.

For Royce, even in the international arena the situation is not something.

He missed the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, which ended in Germany's win, because he injured his ankle in the last pre-tournament game.

In the only World Cup in which he took part, four years later in Russia, the Germans were eliminated for the first time in their history at the home stage.

Was Royce - such an elegant, charismatic and revered player - doomed to always be on the losing side?

Does his very presence bring bad luck?

When it comes to injuries, he sure is unlucky, and a special article will be required to list all of his absences from the pitches during his career.

There is a blatant injustice here, because it is clear to everyone - even to Bayern and Schalke fans - that he deserves a reward for a lifetime achievement, not a punishment.

"Listen first to the heart"

Royce had countless opportunities to leave Borussia. Real Madrid and Barcelona have longed for him more than once. Bayern's door never closed, and he could have followed in the footsteps of Mario Getza, Robert Lewandowski and Mats Hummels, if he only wanted to. He did not want to, and kept faith with the club that actually dumped him once, as a 17-year-old boy, because he was too thin and skinny. Six years later, a red carpet was laid out before him and he was happy to forgive. In fact, he was never even angry. He just wanted to fulfill his childhood dream, and that dream only intensified when some coach in the academy decided he was not good enough.

And he's been there ever since.

"I do not regret that I did not leave, because I made all the decisions with the heart. This is what defines me as a person - I listen first to my heart. Obviously I considered other options, but the heart always told me I should stay. Here I feel most comfortable, playing against 80 "A thousand fans who support this team like me. I do not want it to stop. I do not want to leave them. Bottom line, the choice has always been easy for me," Royce explains.

With his second trophy in his career (Photo: Reuters)

Rest in the summer to be healthy in the winter

Today, at 32, it is already clear as day that he will never leave. He will end his career in the yellow and black uniform, and only two things are unknown - when that will happen, and in a few degrees he will still manage to win until he hangs up his shoes. Given the health history, it's hard to believe that Royce will survive to the age of 40 like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and he himself knows it. The goal is to extend his career as much as possible, and to that end this summer Royce made a precedent-setting decision - he chose not to be included in the squad for Euro 2020 even though he was, for a change, fully qualified.

Royce played a very significant part in the qualifiers, and coach Joachim Lev was actually happy to use his services in his farewell tournament, but he understood his motives.

As the years went by, the star learned to listen not only to his heart but also to his body - and the body told him that real rest was needed for the new season.

There was a matter of clear priorities here - the European Championship or a better chance for a season without injuries in the Dortmund uniform.

Royce chose, almost as usual, the group.

"The body informed me that I needed to rest and relax. I spent time at the beach, but also did fitness training to prepare properly. It was not easy to give up the Euro, but it's the right thing to do," he explained.

Listened not only to his heart and had to give up the euro.

Royce (Photo: GettyImages, CHRISTOF STACHE)

The highlight of Dortmund's appearances in the Champions League

In the meantime it works. We are already in December, and Royce has so far missed only one game due to negligible pain in his knee. Beyond that, the captain is always on the field, always in the lineup in his favorite role as a playmaker behind the strikers. The dry statistical crop at the moment - four goals, six assists and two penalties for Pendel in 12 league games, meaning direct involvement in a goal per game on average. Only Arling Holland and English wonder boy Jude Bellingham enjoy a higher average score in the kicker, and Royce's overall contribution is huge. He is fresh, full of smiles, his touches of the ball make the audience marvel every time again. Even if the speed is a bit lost with age, the agility of thought remains as it was, and the importance to the lineup of new coach Marco Rosa is immense.

The importance of the Netherlands is even greater, and it is precisely the Norwegian who is injured at a problematic time.

His absence caused, to a considerable extent, the relegation from the Champions League, and thus spoiled Royce a founding event.

When he played in Lisbon against Sporting a week ago, he became Dortmund's (55) top scorer in the Champions League, but the dismal 3-1 loss was the third in a row in the factory.

"It was a lousy evening," Royce said simply after the final whistle, but this disappointment clears the table for the really important task - the battle against Bayern for the championship.

A record break on a particularly dismal evening for him and for Borussia (Photo: GettyImages, INA FASSBENDER)

The hero of the last victory over Bayern

Because here you go - the Netherlands have recovered just ahead of the season, scoring against Wolfsburg in the previous round and Dortmund are preparing for the home meeting just one point behind the champions. She has a perfect home balance this season in the Bundesliga, and in fact this streak started back in April. The team finished last season with seven straight wins and this season has 10 wins in 13 rounds. "Together it's 17 wins in 20 games, and that gives us a lot of confidence," declared chairman Hans-Joachim Waczka.

When it comes to the balance against Bayern, the situation is much less encouraging.

Dortmund are already counting five consecutive losses in the Classic, with a catastrophic cumulative goal difference of 17: 4.

If you go a little further, you find that she has eight losses in the last nine league games against Bayern, but who scored a double in the last win three years ago, 2: 3 in November 2018?

That's right, Marco Royce.

And maybe he had a lot of injuries, but he has already counted 31 career games against the Bavarians, and his personal balance is definitely excellent - 12 goals and seven more assists.

He enjoyed beating Bayern when he played for Mönchengladbach, and tried to persevere with that in Dortmund as well.

And on the way to winning the first title of his life, the German Cup in 2017, he is passionate with a goal and cooking for Osman Dembele in the memorable 2: 3 at the Allianz Arena.

Excellent balance against the Bavarians.

Royce subdues Neuer (Photo: GettyImages, Dean Mouhtaropoulos)

The peak of conquests in front of Neuer

Sven Ulrein stood between the beams of Bayern in that specific game, but Royce has a special account with Manuel Neuer. There is no player in the Bundesliga who has subdued the national goalkeeper more times than him. It started as early as their first meeting, in November 2009. Royce, then still a fairly anonymous player who surprisingly began to make his way in the Mönchengladbach squad, scored his third career goal in the Bundesliga at 0-1 over Schalke. The following season, he bombed against Neuer one of the most beautiful goals scored by Mönchengladbach in the entire previous decade, en route to a 1-2 victory that began with a marvelous save at the bottom on the way to staying in the league against all odds. Then, after Neuer's well-publicized move to Bayern in the summer of 2011, he arranged for him a warm welcome at Borussia Park, scoring and giving a show from the films in a 1-3 victory.

In the national team, Royce and Neuer are excellent members, but at the club level they have defined the rivalry since Royce's move to Dortmund.

In the last Super Cup in August, Royce subdued Neuer for the eighth time in his life, surpassing previous record holder Stefan Kisling.

In the overall balance, by the way, the outstanding scorer against Neuer is actually Cristiano Ronaldo, who does not play in the Bundesliga at all - to his credit 10 goals.

If he scores twice on Saturday, Royce will equal the Portuguese.

This too is an interesting task, but it's just picantry.

The only important goal is to cut off Bayern's long and exhausting streak.

Royce does not want to end a decade in Dortmund without a championship.

He does not want to allow Bayern to celebrate a tenth plate in a row.

He really does not want to let Romaniga continue to joke at his expense.

They meet again.

Neuer and Royce (Photo: GettyImages, MARTIN MEISSNER)

If not now, then when?

"As long as I play, as long as I lead Dortmund with the captain's armband, I will do everything to win the championship," he declared.

His place in the history of the club is guaranteed.

Already now he is one of the most beloved players ever, the fourth conqueror of his kind in the history of Borussia in the Bundesliga, and a living legend.

But he does not want to be remembered as the unlucky star who won nothing.

And it so he does not deserve.

Therefore, anyone who is not a fan of Bayern will keep their fingers crossed for the Classic.

This season, when he is healthy and in great shape, with Holland still in the yellow-black uniform, and without the Champions League on the agenda, this is probably the best opportunity of his life to break the drought.

If not now, then when?

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