Borussia Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke insists the Germans must go all out to KO Rangers on their way to Europa League glory after their Bundesliga title hopes took another severe dent.
Boss Marco Rose slaughtered his players’ mentality following a 3-2 defeat at Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side face Dortmund in the Europa League play-off tie in February for a place in the last-16 of UEFA’s second tier competition.
The Germans dropped down after a disappointing Champions League campaign and are now trailing Bayern Munich by nine points in the title race.
And Dortmund CEO Watzke has demanded his side make up for their Champions League disappointment by going all the way in the Europa League with Erling Haaland and CO.
He said: “We have very big plans in the Europa League.
“We have to be realistic in the Bundesliga because Bayern are playing exceptionally well and I believe they are the best team in the Champions League at the moment.
"But we are still in with a chance in three competitions - our chances in the Bundesliga are certainly the smallest, but we would like to win the DFB Cup again.
But manager Rose was forced to question his players' mentality after their fourth defeat of the season away from home.
He said: "We are Borussia Dortmund. We should be winning at Hertha Berlin.
"And in the end, Hertha defeated us through commitment and their desire to win the game.
"I would question my players' attitudes.
"I don't want to change the character of my players because they are good guys. But it needs more than that.
"Now we dragging a defeat with us on the winter break and that annoys me a lot."
