A German social media account has reportedly revealed the hefty fines that Borussia Dortmund players must pay the club if they commit a number of minor offences under new head coach Nuri Sahin.
Player fines are far from uncommon among the top European divisions, with Aston Villa and Manchester United among the clubs keen to make sure player conduct stays at a high standard.
In 2022, Villa was revealed to expect players to pay £200 for every minute they were late for a meeting with the manager, as well as smaller sums for more esoteric rule breaking, including not wearing flip flops in the shower (£100) and forgetting to bring a cake on their birthday (£50).
More recently, Birmingham’s fines list was leaked and showed similar penalties for tardiness, plus a £250 charge for any player who failed to say hello to canteen staff.
While the Bundesliga side’s list leaked on Tuesday dates for the 2023-24 season, Sahin – who took over in the wake of Edin Terzic’s departure at the end of the last campaign – is believed to be in favour of maintaining existing penalties.
Borussia Dortmund’s players’ fines list has reportedly leaked on social media
Head coach Nuri Sahin is thought to be maintaining a list established during 2023-24 season
Fine-worthy offences include being late to training and team meetings, and incorrect dress
As per BILD, this includes fining players €100 per minute (£83) they are late to scheduled events such as training, physio appointments, and meetings with coaching staff.
This rises to a whopping €3,000 (£2,499) if a player is late on matchday, and €5,000 (£4,166) if a player misses a scheduled club event entirely.
Should a player miss a weighing session, however, that number shrinks considerably, with the misdemeanour reportedly costing an offender €250 (£208).
A premium is clearly put on focus and engagement within the squad at the club, as evidenced by their €100 penalty for using phones at the dining table or while on with the physios, as well as club responsibilities.
Players are reportedly fined €2,000 (£1,666) if they fail to sign autograph cards for fans by the agreed-upon deadline, while failing to sign jerseys comes with a €500 (£416) penalty.
Standards are also kept high when it comes to cleanliness, with players set to be fined €100 if they leave their training area messy or strewn with discarded kit, and appropriate dress, with incorrect gear costing a player €250.
The leaked list was first circulated on TikTok, where the original user quipped that it was clear to see how well the players at Dortmund are paid by the scale of the fines for even the most minor offences.
Players are subject to fines for every minute they are late to training or meetings with coaches
But keeping standards high of late clearly bore fruit, with the team reaching the final of last season’s Champions League tournament.
Terzic’s side later lost to Real Madrid 2-0 in the contest at Wembley, in a defeat which hastened the head coach’s departure.
Under Sahin, the team have had a steady start to the season, sitting fifth in the Bundesliga, and within the automatic qualification places in the league round of the Champions League after beating Club Brugge 3-0 in their first European run-out of the campaign.