Could Dortmund be genuine title contenders next season?

With their domestic rivals in disarray, Niko Kovac's side is well stocked and well prepared to cause an upset in the Bundesliga next season.

To no great surprise, the Club World Cup has been an entirely forgettable experience for Borussia Dortmund. Empty stadiums, uneven matches against foes from South Africa and South Korea and even a disgruntled and notably bored Vice President in the stands just about sums up the Black & Yellow’s big-money tour of North America. No drama. No chaos. Nothing to note at all, actually.

That, of course, is no bad thing. For a club that has spent the last three or four years swinging rather wildly from the pits of the Bundesliga table to Champions League finals, few could begrudge Dortmund’s hierarchy and their battle-hardened fan base a relatively quiet start to the summer off-season. If you’re looking for boardroom theatrics, public spats between former players and club presidents and all-round frustration with the transfer market, Bayern Munich seem to be more than happy to oblige.

Indeed, while we may only wish to whisper it at this moment in time for fear of scaring it away, Dortmund actually seem to have their ducks in a row. And while that may not make for exciting gossip columns or indeed an intriguing spectacle for Donald Trump’s No.2, it hints at what may be on the horizon. Where dark clouds once seemed to hang ominously on the horizon in perpetuity, there’s now bright skies and hope. And, just maybe, the beginnings of a genuine title challenge in the Bundesliga next season.