Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that Jadon Sancho has completed his return to the club in a loan move from Manchester United for the remainder of the 2023-24 season, and the way they did it will be familiar to fans of the NBA‘s Chicago Bulls.
After becoming one of Europe’s most sought-after young players during his four excellent years at Dortmund, Sancho left the Bundesliga club to sign for United in summer 2021 in a huge £73 million transfer. However, the winger’s career at Old Trafford never really got going, he hasn’t played since August and has been frozen out of the first team entirely after falling out with manager Erik ten Hag.
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Despite Sancho’s high-profile slump, Dortmund decided to announce the 23-year-old’s return to Signal Iduna Park in extremely bold fashion. The club released a two-word statement from Sancho, echoing that made by superstar Michael Jordan when he returned to the Bulls in 1995 after reversing his ill-fated decision to retire from basketball to pursue a career in baseball.
The German side broke the news with a mock-up of a statement from “Michael Jadon,” who informed the world: “I’m back.”
Michael Jadon. pic.twitter.com/Jp1xXUG4wX
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) January 11, 2024
Given that Sancho scored 12 goals and laid on just six assists in 82 games for United, and hasn’t played in several months, you simply have to admire both the player and Dortmund’s social media team for the sheer audacity of the move.
When Jordan made his own return to the Bulls almost three decades ago he led the team to a run of three straight NBA championships, matching the feat they achieved in the years before his shock retirement.
No pressure, Jadon.
The tongue-in-cheek two-word quote brings to mind the statement released by Zlatan Ibrahimovic upon his transfer to LA Galaxy in 2018.
The Swedish striker, never one to understate his own importance, took out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times in order to welcome himself to MLS.
HE’S HERE! 💙 pic.twitter.com/JuZEtzTWbv
— Manchester City (@ManCity) June 13, 2022
Manchester City also limited themselves to just two words when they signed Erling Haaland from Dortmund in June 2022.
The Premier League giants simply informed fans “he’s here” along with a cheeky wink from the Norwegian striker.
Mi afición, mi equipo, MI CASA! @atleti 🔴⚪🔴
Mes supporters, mon équipe, MA MAISON ! @AtletiFR 🔴⚪🔴
My fans, my team, MY HOME!!! @atletienglish 🔴⚪🔴 pic.twitter.com/ByD8Cju5Yb
— Antoine Griezmann (@AntoGriezmann) June 14, 2018
Footballers taking their cues from NBA stars has backfired in the past, too. Who can forget the LeBron James-inspired mini-documentary commissioned by Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann when speculation over a possible move to Barcelona began to gather pace in the summer of 2018.
The France forward produced a short film that showed him openly discussing his future with friends and members of his family only to build to the grand reveal that he had decided to stay put at Atleti with the message: “My fans, my team, MY HOME!!!”
Several months later came a second announcement from Griezmann that he had changed his mind and now intended to leave the club after all and sure enough the enormous €120m transfer to Barça soon materialised.
