Nuri Sahin backs Emre Can amid criticism of Borussia Dortmund captain

Nuri Sahin has had his say on the criticism that Borussia Dortmund captain Emre Can has had to face in recent weeks.

While Emre Can has never been a very popular figure among the Borussia Dortmund supporters, he has been the subject of plenty of criticism in recent weeks. Fans have especially been left frustrated by his lack of resistance to opposition pressing and his propensity to give the ball away cheaply in the BVB half.

As a result, Can’s place in the Borussia Dortmund starting XI has been the subject of a lot of debate. He was dropped to the bench against Real Madrid, and BVB delivered an excellent first-half performance. The 30 year old came on in the 76th minute with the scores level, and was unable to prevent BVB from suffering a 5-2 defeat.

Nuri Sahin on Emre Can's recent struggles

Nuri Sahin admitted during his press conference on Friday that all the criticism Can is facing could be affecting his performance. But he also backed the BVB captain as an important part of the team.

"With Emre, I have the feeling at the moment that things are going in one direction. He knows that he could have defended better in that situation [against Real Madrid]. I have the feeling that there's a lot of doom and gloom with him."

"Of course, it does something to a person when everything you do is always criticised. In sporting terms, he is judged by his performances. He's extremely important for us and very popular in the team. I won't let him be be blamed for anything. We are walking this path together. I'll go through fire for my boys."

It will be interesting to see if Emre Can returns to the Borussia Dortmund starting XI for Saturday’s trip to FC Augsburg. The midfielder has made a total of 11 appearances so far this season.