News Analysis: Dortmund: Off the international radar

It might be tough news for Borussia Dortmund's fans around the world to take: But the 2013 Champions League finalist will disappear from football's international radar for a long time.

And more: After the 2011 and 2012 German champions failed to stop Juventus Turin in the round of the last 16 (1-2/0-3 Carlos Tevez 3rd/79th and Alvaro Morata 70th) Wednesday evening, a complete re-start seems to be necessary to reanimate the German club that once was audacious enough to try to challenge German giants Bayern Munich, who is now the last German club among the last eight of this seasons Champions League.

For now Dortmund is not only far from being a competitive side on the international stage but in the domestic league too where they are languishing in 10th and well away from qualifying for Europe next year. And what was obvious against the deadly effective Juventus Turin, they are away from glorious Champions League moments of 2013 (4-1 against Real Madrid).

Dortmund, once regarded an innovative racing car, gives the impression of being a slow truck not powerful enough for football's fast lanes. Losing 0-3 (1-2 first leg) to Turin was no less than a public humiliation.

Looking at the Bundesliga, Dortmund does not have to think about Europe's best clubs as they have been overtaken by German clubs like VfL Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke 04 and Borussia Moenchengladbach in their national league, not to speak of Bayern Munich.

Dortmund's coach Juergen Klopp will have to make fundamental changes in his squad and admit to having done a bad job when spending over 50 million euros before this season on players like Ciro Immobile, Adrian Ramos, Matthias Ginter and Kevin Kampl.

Looking at the last two years, Dortmund have spent over 118 million euros. The effect of the shopping tour is disillusioning. Ten years after the club was nearly bankrupt, another big challenge is waiting for the German side that once stood for attractive fast attacking football and an overwhelming amount of greed.

It wouldn't be a surprise if players like Immobile, Hendrik Mkhitaryan, Ramos, and maybe Ilkay Guendogan leave the club this summer. Dortmund won't be too disappointed about Immobile and Ramos, but Guendogan leaving would hurt them deeply. The midfielder with Turkish roots has until now refused to extend his contract despite a 6 million euros offer per season. BVB hopes to keep Guendogan to partner striker Marco Reus and midfielder Nuri Sahin, who was sidelined against Juventus due to injury.

Against Turin, BVB coach Juergen Klopp started with a 4-2-3-1 system which he quickly had to change into a more offensive 4-4-2 after Turin took an early lead in the 3rd minute. Mkhitaryan was a total disappointment again and Immobile, who played for Juventus from 2008 to 2010, had to watch the game from the bench.

But Turin's 37-year-old goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon hardly had anything to do all evening. After two 0-0 draws in the Bundesliga against Hamburg SV and newly-promoted FC Cologne, the defeat against Juventus is another hard fact to face.

Now, sinking into insignificance is something one would not associate with Borussia Dortmund and it will be extremely exciting to see how the club will manage the crisis. To find the way back to happier times will take a while.

Now new doubts regarding coach Juergen Klopp will rise as the 47-year old's coaching style has been very intense ever since he took over the club in 2008. After nearly seven years some assume Juergen Klopp has to face the biggest challenge in his career.

"Now we have to concentrate on the league games and the German Cup. At the moment we are very disappointed. We seemed to be back on track but this game today was a painful setback," said the 2014 world champion Mats Hummels. Meaning: Team and coach might have felt they were on the comeback trail but now they have to concentrate on their league games and the German Cup. While both are important they are a far cry from Europe's biggest stage.

Dortmund at the moment is a team without ideas and esprit.

To reach the quarterfinals in the Champions League was nothing Dortmund deserved. To get to the round of the last 16 was the best the club, which is still looking to return to former glories, could do. "It's a fact, we have no right to be part of the Champions League this season," said Dortmund's coach Juergen Klopp. Endi