BVB Buzz
Fansided

Ebi Smolarek: Borussia Dortmund’s derby hero

By Brian Szlenk Straub

Chorzow, POLAND: Euzebiusz Smolarek of Poland celebrates after scoring the second goal during their Euro 2008 qualifying football match against Portugal in Chorzow 11 October 2006. AFP PHOTO / JANEK SKARZYNSKI (Photo credit should read JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Chorzow, POLAND: Euzebiusz Smolarek of Poland celebrates after scoring the second goal during their Euro 2008 qualifying football match against Portugal in Chorzow 11 October 2006. AFP PHOTO / JANEK SKARZYNSKI (Photo credit should read JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Chorzow, POLAND: Poland’s Euzebiusz Smolarek celebrates after scoring against Portugal in the Euro 2008 qualifying round football match in Chorzow, 11 October 2006. AFP PHOTO / JANEK SKARZYNSKI (Photo credit should read JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Chorzow, POLAND: Poland’s Euzebiusz Smolarek celebrates after scoring against Portugal in the Euro 2008 qualifying round football match in Chorzow, 11 October 2006. AFP PHOTO / JANEK SKARZYNSKI (Photo credit should read JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images) /

Smolarek and Dortmund – A brief but wonderful story:

When Smolarek joined Borussia Dortmund, the club were just in the initial stages of their recovery from a near catastrophic brush with bankruptcy. In times when money was tight, Smolarek was brought in initially on loan. Because of the club’s situation, they weren’t expected to bring in the big names they had brought from aboard in the past. Instead, the club had to be smart with their money and sign players that they could afford.

Smolarek fit the bill at the time, and despite expectations not being high, he still managed to chip in with 3 goals and 4 assists in 15 outings in his first season. This would earn Smolarek a permanent move to Dortmund. The transfer would be lauded by Kicker as the best one of that Bundesliga season, with Smolarek continuing to pay dividends for the club that had put faith in him.

The 2005/2006 season would see Ebi go from strength to strength, with the player this time managing 13 goals and 5 assists. A firm favorite in the eyes of the Dortmund faithful at this point, it had seemed Smolarek had finally found his place in football. It wouldn’t be until the 2006/2007 season however that Smolarek would immortalize his name in Die Schwarzgelben history.

The Black and Yellows weren’t having a great season. Not only were they below local rivals Schalke in the table, the blue side of the Ruhr Valley was on the cusp of winning the Bundesliga. Matchday 33 rolled around on the 5th of May, and Dortmund had one mission in mind: Stop Schalke from winning the title at all costs.

Alexander Frei opened the scoring for Dortmund in the 44th minute, after which Dortmund kept compact and waited to go on the counter. Both Ruhr sides had their chances, but the score remained at 1-0 until the 85th minute, when Christoph Metzelder found himself on the edge of the box. The Dortmund defender let fly, but his shot was deflected.

The deflection fell kindly for Smolarek, who slotted past then Schalke keeper Manuel Neuer from 8 meters out. The goal would seal the win for Borussia Dortmund, and ensure Schalke finished two points behind Stuttgart that season. Ebi would finish the season with 9 goals and 6 assists, but he would be forever remembered for that immortalizing moment, and the rapturous celebrations it induced thereafter.

With performances like this, its not hard to see why Ebi was considered one of the main success stories under then manager Bert van Marwijk. As DW reported at the time, the club had gone from signing the likes of Marco Amoroso for 25 million euros to putting trust in youth and affordable, bargain type players, and it was paying off.