German football legend and 1990 World Cup winner Lothar Matthaus has commented on Borussia Dortmund's decision not to use the showers at Baku Olympic Stadium following their Champions League match against Azerbaijan's Sabah.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the 65-year-old former Germany captain defended the stadium's infrastructure during Bild's "Lothar legt los" programme, suggesting that Dortmund's decision may have been related to organisational rather than facility-related concerns.
Matthaus revealed that he had recently visited Azerbaijan and was satisfied with the conditions he experienced.
"Overall, everything is modern. The showers work too. I don't think there was only cold water available. In my opinion, everything is in perfectly reasonable condition," he said.
The German football expert suggested that Dortmund's players might have preferred to return to their hotel for entirely different reasons.
"Perhaps they wanted to get back to the hotel sooner, relax in their own rooms and freshen up. They still had dinner ahead of them, and you also have to consider the time difference," Matthaus explained.
He also suggested that the decision could have been intended to provide players with the most comfortable conditions for recovery and preparation ahead of their next match.
Matthaus even joked that the team might have wanted to avoid waiting an extra 15 minutes for a player who spends too much time styling his hair.
However, the World Cup winner stressed that he saw nothing wrong with Dortmund's decision itself. What surprised him was the club's failure to provide a clear explanation.
"Personally, I see absolutely no problem with Borussia Dortmund deciding to shower at the hotel rather than at the stadium after the match. But they could have explained it. Then there wouldn't be all this discussion now," Matthaus noted.
The controversy emerged after Dortmund's 2-1 victory over Sabah, when the German club's players headed directly to their team bus without using the stadium's shower facilities.
Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac subsequently revealed that the players had been advised in advance to shower at their hotel.
Sporting director Ole Book, meanwhile, suggested that the hotel's showers were more appealing, describing the corresponding facilities at the stadium as not looking particularly luxurious.
The comments sparked considerable discussion in the German media.
However, Sabah forward Joy-Lance Mickels previously stated that the Azerbaijani team's players had used the stadium's showers without experiencing any problems.
Matthaus has now offered an alternative explanation for the incident, suggesting that Dortmund's decision may have been driven by convenience and player recovery rather than concerns about the quality of Baku Olympic Stadium's facilities.
