Erling Haaland was apparently the only Dortmunder who still believed in a real chance for the title for Borussia.

The frustrated images of the top scorer, who sat on the bench with his arms crossed and shaking his head, were a clear sign: BVB's 1-1 draw at 1. FC Köln was more than two points lost.

With a deficit of six points to FC Bayern and seven games to go, it was probably the decisive setback in the Bundesliga title fight.

It never really got going throughout the season.

And in the eyes of Haaland's bosses, it was apparently not a real issue even after the small race to catch up from nine to four points.

“We would have liked to win and keep it exciting for as long as possible.

But we were still able to assess our chances realistically.

That's why we didn't declare the championship fight anymore," said Sebastian Kehl, head of the licensed player department.

Coach Marco Rose answered the question of whether he was disappointed with the result with regard to the title fight, demonstratively shortened: "I'm disappointed with the result." The talk of the championship duel is "a running gag now.

If we lose a game, it's back to: screwed up.

Then we win and Bayern stumble, then I get asked the question: Are you back in the thick of things?" Overall, BVB is simply trying to "get the most out of the season."

"Let's leave it at that"

Meanwhile, Kehl simply called out other goals.

"Becoming champion of the second half of the season is definitely worthwhile," he said: "And increasing the distance to the rear and not making it look so brutal to the front would be quite good."

That sounds moderately ambitious in a remaining season in which BVB "doesn't have that many English weeks anymore" after being eliminated from three cup competitions, as Kehl noted.

And in which Dortmund “will have a good training group even in the upcoming international break.

There are a lot of German national players there," Kehl said.

National coach Hansi Flick had not nominated a single Dortmund player.

They talked about it, said Kehl, who will succeed Michael Zorc as sports director in the summer: "Let's just leave it like that."

Nevertheless, the construction of a title fight between the series champion from Munich and the long-term pursuer from Dortmund was "an up and down of the media", as Kehl explained: "We didn't get involved and concentrated on ourselves.

We managed to do that well in the end.” After all, Dortmund scored the most points in 2022.

That's why Cologne's coach Steffen Baumgart defended his friend "Rosi" with vehemence.

"They won six of the last nine games, drew twice and only got their ass kicked by Leverkusen, which can happen to anyone," Baumgart said. "It's all done too badly for me.

The team has made a development.

I think they're having a good season."

For Haaland, however, all this is probably not enough as a perspective.

When he returned to the starting eleven after 57 days, the Norwegian seemed constantly dissatisfied with himself and the team's game.

His frustration was "already noticed in the game," said Cologne central defender Luca Kilian, who grew up in BVB's youth and is still a self-confessed Dortmund fan today.

"He wasn't really in the game, didn't get that many balls," said Kilian and added with a laugh: "As a team we defended him well.

So it's nice to see him sitting on the bench so offended."