"That's what won us the title": How a sunburn paved the way for BVB's title win

Großkreutz did, however, score a goal abroad – and had done so several years earlier. The long-serving BVB professional and 2014 World Cup winner once found the net from the penalty spot in Brazil. Großkreutz was part of an unofficial match held annually between two favelas in Belo Horizonte.

Großkreutz will certainly not forget this trip at the end of 2010. But that has less to do with his appearance on a village square on extremely muddy ground than with a wild story that was to unfold just a few days later.

Großkreutz, who has always got on well with foreign players despite language barriers, visited his teammate and BVB legend Dede in Brazil during the latter’s six-monthly holiday home. However, the former left-back was warned even before the trip that it wouldn’t be plain sailing. 

Shortly before that, Borussia Dortmund – who, under Jürgen Klopp, were already ten points clear at the top of the table after the first half of the season – were holding their Christmas party. There, manager Michael Zorc took Dede, his very first ever signing, aside and said, with the upcoming trip in mind: “You need to watch out for Kevin.” Zorc was “really serious” about it, as Dede recently said on the podcast “Viertelstunde Fußball” hosted by Großkreutz and commentator Cornelius Küpper.

But nobody approached the trip with much caution. “We spent a few days celebrating in my town first,” Dede recounted. Großkreutz, who set off on the trip with a mate, described the scene: “We knocked back a beer or two at Dede’s place too, for four days straight. I think we drank non-stop. I reckon there were always about 150 people in the house.”

So Dede quickly got a first impression of what was going on. “In the first few days I saw Kevin – oh my God,” he said, realising what Zorc had wisely warned him about: “I think I’ll have to be really careful. I’ve always felt the pressure to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

But something did happen, of course: shortly after he scored his penalty, Großkreutz and his mate from Belo Horizonte headed to the city of Cabo Frio in the state of Rio de Janeiro – without Dede. He stayed with his parents for a few more days, but sent two friends along to look after Großkreutz.

Großkreutz recalled how Dede had warned him about the sun: “Please, Kevin, put on some sun cream. No matter what the weather’s like.” Upon arriving at the hotel, Großkreutz suggested to his companion: “Come on, let’s head to the beach and have a few beers.” So they had a few beers. Perhaps one or two too many, as always.

Großkreutz hadn’t forgotten Dede’s urgent advice, though he hadn’t considered it necessary – a fatal mistake, as was soon to become apparent. "It was cloudy on the beach and I thought to myself: Why on earth is he putting sun cream on, being Brazilian? Unbelievable, it’s cloudy!" said Großkreutz. "Then I had another beer and took a quick nap. I was lying on my towel and fell asleep."

According to the midfielder, what was meant to be a quick nap turned into two hours. The sun had burned right into Großkreutz’s skin. “I woke up and my shoulder was a mess, absolutely shattered. Everything was oozing out – it was disgusting. I can’t even describe it. It wasn’t just a sunburn anymore – it was as if someone had poured boiling water over you,” said Großkreutz.

Presumably because of how drunk he was, he initially underestimated the extent of the burns and thought to himself: "I reckon I’ll be fine. I’ve had a few beers again." Großkreutz’s ordeal would have lasted another four days, but the festering skin and the unbearable pain brought him to his senses.

The unsuspecting Dede then received a call from his friends. “He’s completely red,” they said. “I thought to myself: a bit red, that’s normal. But then Kevin was on the line and just said: I’m not feeling well. That set off alarm bells straight away; I immediately had Zorc’s voice in my head.”

Dede got into his car and sped off to Großkreutz’s place. When he saw him, “I was shocked,” he said. One of Dede’s friends eventually tried to help him recover using a method Großkreutz referred to as a “secret recipe”: vinegar was supposed to soothe the burnt skin. However, according to Großkreutz: “It stung so much, even an hour later. If it had been a colleague, I’d have punched him. I somehow got through the day with beer, but it was still really painful. Then I went to bed, but it didn’t work. I couldn’t lie down and didn’t sleep all night. My shoulder was done for.”

The next morning, Großkreutz tried ibuprofen and rang Dortmund’s team doctor, Dr Markus Braun. “He said: ‘It’s tricky.’ I didn’t want to see a doctor in Brazil either. Then I said to Dede: ‘I don’t think there’s any point staying here any longer. I have to go home.’”

Shortly afterwards, Großkreutz was on the plane – shirtless. “I flew from Brazil to Frankfurt with my top off. And it was winter here, of course. I sat bolt upright on the plane; I couldn’t move. I couldn’t sleep either. I chugged painkillers, but they didn’t help. I stood shirtless at the airport and felt a bit silly,” he said.

Großkreutz landed at around 5 pm on 31 December and was driven straight to Dr Braun. He gave him injections for the pain and cream for the horrific sunburn. “And then I went out to celebrate New Year’s Eve,” Großkreutz explained.

Five days later, the then 22-year-old was on the pitch for BVB’s first training session of the season. “What have you been up to now?” Klopp is reported to have said to him. “I did train, mind you, but I was still peeling all over my body during pre-season. You could peel the skin off everywhere.” Dede revealed: “At first, he wasn’t allowed to shower in the changing room so that no one would see. Kevin showered at home."

Großkreutz, whose burnt shoulder, by his own account, took a long time to heal (“It took ages, it was mad”) and is still marked by small scars to this day, didn’t let it show on the pitch in the immediate aftermath.

Just nine days after returning to training, Großkreutz scored what were arguably his two most important goals during his six-year spell at BVB. In the away match against Bayer Leverkusen – who are also the Westphalians’ next opponents – he burst into action shortly after the break: with two goals and an assist between the 49th and 55th minutes, Großkreutz became the match-winner in the 3-1 victory – and thus paved the way for Borussia to secure their first league title of the Klopp era against their closest rivals.

Klopp’s young wild ones were not to be denied their lead. In the end, they finished seven points ahead of Leverkusen and won a title for the first time after a nine-year drought. 

It marked the start of one of the most successful periods in Dortmund’s club history. Or, as Großkreutz, now 37, put it: “The sunburn gave us the championship.”