"Don't shower here": fears of deadly bacteria terrify Dortmund in Baku's stadium
Cryptic warnings: Sabah's side baffled by German team's conduct
Borussia Dortmund secured their second win in this season's Champions League after beating Azerbaijani champions FK Sabah 2-1 away from home on Tuesday.
The German side left the pitch still drenched in sweat. Their players refused to use the shower rooms at the Olympic Stadium in the capital Baku, a move that astonished the opposition.
Dortmund's coach, Niko Kovac, said: "We also didn't shower after training yesterday, and we will now head quickly to the hotel. We were told that we shouldn't shower here."
According to the German magazine Der Spiegel, "it was initially unclear why these instructions were given or who issued them."
Uli Bock, Dortmund's sporting director, offered his own take in the press interview area: "I think the shower facilities at the hotel were a little more inviting, and that's why we're keen for the players to get there quickly." He declined to spell out exactly what he meant, saying only: "One can somewhat imagine it", before adding that the facilities "were not entirely elegant."
Der Spiegel quoted the newspaper "Bild" as saying that Dortmund did not want to risk the health of their players. The fear of legionella bacteria lurking in the water drove the players out without showering.
No other media reports have emerged on the matter, and neither club has confirmed a thing.
As the German magazine explained, "Legionella is a bacteria that can be present in pipes through which water does not flow regularly. During showering, this bacteria may reach the respiratory system via fine water droplets dispersed in the air, and cause illness."
The German website Deutsche Welle reports that legionella bacteria found in drinking water can cause illnesses whose symptoms resemble influenza and severe pneumonia, and may trigger Legionnaires' disease, the complications of which can sometimes prove fatal.
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