Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac has backed youngster Samuele Inacio after the 18-year-old endured a painful evening in Saturday’s 2-0 Bundesliga victory over Hamburger SV. Inacio entered the match in the 74th minute, but lasted only around 200 seconds before referee Felix Zwayer showed him a straight red card for a reckless sliding challenge on Albert Grønbaek.
The dismissal left Dortmund shorthanded for the closing stages of a match they had otherwise controlled comfortably. The young attacker receiving the lowest mark of the evening in our Get German Football News player rating piece on the match.
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Kovac nevertheless refused to turn the mistake into a broader indictment of one of Dortmund’s most promising young players. Kovac unfortunately had more bad news to report on at the post-match press conference, confirming that potentially devastating injury news about goalscorer Giannis Konstantelias looked to be true.
Kovac: “The boy was sitting there crying”
“Of course he didn’t do the team any favors,” Kovac told Sky Germany. “He was late. He doesn’t need to go to ground there, and then he catches him. You can justify the decision and give the red card.”
Inacio’s frustration continued after leaving the pitch, with the youngster throwing a water bottle several times in the tunnel. Kovac was more interested in what followed after the final whistle.
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“I just went into the dressing room and the boy was sitting there crying,” Kovac continued. “It was his first red card as a Bundesliga professional, and it happened here in this stadium.”
The Dortmund trainer stressed that painful experiences of this nature form part of a young player’s development.
“Life goes on,” Kovac concluded. “He didn’t do it intentionally and he has to learn from it. Ultimately, that’s also what we want: the boy is emotional.”
“I naturally spoke with him,” Kovac added at the post-match press conference. “That’s normal for someone on the pitch for such a short time. One can fully understand that an Italian was very emotional, was quite sad and cried.
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“I comforted him and encouraged him,” Kovac continued. “That’s part of football. He didn’t do it intentionally, but will learn and grow from it. He’ll certainly handle it differently in the future.”
Anton backs Inacio after dismissal
Dortmund defender Waldemar Anton likewise offered support for his young teammate.
“He’s a young player who is very motivated,” Anton said in the mixed zone. “Getting a red card like that is incredibly bitter and, of course, brutally frustrating. But he has enormous qualities.”
GGFN | Peter Weis
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