He turns on Borussia, and Borussia - his.

May 27, 2017. Borussia Dortmund wins the German Cup, but during the break in the final loses Marco Reus. The German midfielder is lame on a pedestal and enjoys the trophy as an ideal birthday present - up to the 28th anniversary is less than a week.

“My emotions are heaven and hell at the same time. It was my first title, but I didn’t want to mark it with a torn bundle. After the replacement, I cried, then cried after two or three days. In such cases, it is important to quickly extinguish the feelings,” - recalled Reus.

A day after the game, the doctors diagnosed the leader of the Dortmund cruciate ligament rupture. Marco again fell out of football for a long time, he met a personal holiday at the clinic. “I would give all the money to do what I like and play football,” - after the operation, the German missed his crutch and crossed out the days before the onset of 2018.

Waiting is the right word to succinctly describe Reus’s football maturity. He looked forward to returning to the childhood club and native Dortmund for seven years, the first serious title with his favorite Borussia - five years, a big tournament with the German national team after the store for Euro 2012 - six years.

And behind all this pain, Reus himself probably did not notice that he was already 29. The age in which they often give interviews about plans after a career is less and less likely to dream of top clubs and punch through earning options in China, Qatar or the USA.

In the case of Marco, these thoughts will not come soon - there is no more hungry and motivated football player under 30. On the eve of the fourth dozen, Marco Reus Woodyinho can only boast of the German Cup, two Super Bowl medals and the FIFA 17 cover. The career of the best football player of the country-2012 could not, and was obliged to take shape differently.

In the spring of 2018, a year before the completion of the contract, Marco faced a dilemma: stay in Dortmund or reboot into a real top team. “Four or five foreign clubs are interested in me. My next contract is the last chance to try something new, so it’s important to plan the remaining 4-5 years at the highest level,” - Reus understood that he deserved a wider platform for talent than the Bundesliga.

But reinsured. The German recently returned to the game after a cross injury, was frightened by changes in his life and extended his contract with Dortmund until 2023 - almost to the end of his career. “I hope that by this I signaled that we will build a stable team. I wanted to show my teammates that you can really develop here,” - Marco supported the risky project of his favorite club and donated ambitions.

At that moment, Dortmund seemed like a disgusting place to pursue a career. Borussia's chefs made a mistake with Peter Bosz and handed the team over to the temporary Peter Stöger - both the concept and the name of the new chief for the next season were questionable. Dortmund struggled for the Champions League with its last strength, the squad was not enough game players, and the gap between Bayern and its competitors seemed out of reach for years to come.

In fact, Borussia acted brilliantly and strategically. The prolongation really launched a revolution - it was probably the condition for signing in the contract. The sports director of Schwarzgelben, Michael Zorc, joyfully, threw out the phrase “Reus is the face of the club” and set to work on the rest of the body. Especially under Marco, Dortmund took Lucien Favre from Nice, who trained the kid six years ago as the best player in Germany. Then there is a transfer campaign with Witsel, Alcácer and Hakimi who instantly fit in. Huge purchase, and not only in Germany.

“I didn’t have so many coaches, but Favre is probably the best one,” - Reus quotes the Swiss even higher than Jürgen Klopp. Mutual sympathy of men stretches from Mönchengladbach.

Favre understands that Reus loves to invent, and does not limit it to the flanks, as Klopp did. In the Dortmund with the Swiss, Marco plays a second-rate striker - he is a dozen at face value, but is radically aimed at the gate - so was his favorite coach in the Gladbach. Primitive statistics hints that Reus is on the best season in his career - just one third of the championship is behind, and he has already scored eight goals. So effectively, the German never started.

Recently, the playmaker has an additional incentive in his personal life. In October, Marco announced that he would be the father for the first time. The birth of a daughter will strengthen the already immeasurable sense of responsibility.

Now Reus is in absolute harmony: he understands what the coach wants and what his body needs. He lives a childhood dream and a captain in his native team. He knows for whom and for what he wakes up every morning. These are the best conditions to make a difference not only in one particular match with Bayern, but also in the whole tournament with Bayern.

Given the fragility of the body and the rapid replenishment of the family, it is difficult to expect from Reus a transfer to a real top club, although Marco did not swear to end his career in Borussia. The German is making plans for Euro 2020 and talks about the World Cup in Qatar, before which he will turn 33. With the right distribution of power, Marco has enough time to collect the missing titles both in Germany and outside.

Motivational coaches are confident that a successful person must leave the comfort zone in order to grow and develop, but the example of Marco Reus suggests the opposite. If you live in the most convenient conditions and consider every minute as a new challenge, you too will take the right path.