In 2016, Thomas Tuchel envisioned Dario Scuderi as a right-back for BVB. However, a devastating injury followed, one that nearly cost the youngster his leg. Today, he lives his dream at the club by discovering emerging talents.
«My dream is to one day work as a scout or coach in Dortmund’s youth academy. And that’s exactly where I see myself,» Dario Scuderi replied in March 2021 during an extensive SPOX interview when asked where he saw himself in 2026. A little over five years later, it’s clear: the now 28-year-old has fulfilled this dream.
Scuderi is indeed working for BVB, serving as a scout in the top talent division. In this role, the Italian travels the world, searching for gems in youth football that could be of interest to Borussia.
And Scuderi, who ended his playing career in 2019, has already delivered significantly for Dortmund. Filippo Mane arrived from Sampdoria Genoa’s U19 team in early 2021. Scuderi also discovered the two young talents Samuele Inacio and Luca Reggiani, who have already made their way to the first team this season.
«It feels great. I’m often traveling in Europe, seeing many different countries and many good players. I enjoy watching football and analyzing it,» he once stated in a club podcast.
‘The Most Severe Knee Injury Imaginable’
However, one can be sure: If he had a choice, Scuderi would much rather still be a professional footballer himself at the prime of his career. Fate had other plans. He suffered an injury so severe that even a superstar like Neymar sent well wishes for his recovery.
What happened? At 18, Scuderi was playing for BVB’s U19 in Warsaw during a Youth League match. It is in this competition that he now primarily scouts the potential stars of tomorrow.
There in Poland, Scuderi sustained «the most severe knee injury imaginable,» as renowned Munich knee specialist Dr. Michael Strobel stated at the time. The diagnosis: dislocated knee, double cruciate ligament tear, lateral collateral ligament tear, and meniscus damage.
Scuderi Was Destined to Be a Right-Back Under Tuchel
Scuderi had previously progressed through numerous youth teams at Borussia. Under Hannes Wolf, he won two championship titles. In 2016, he was slated to be retrained as a right-back for Thomas Tuchel’s first team. Then came September and a fateful sprint after a misplaced pass.
«Because I was positioned very high, my opponent had a clear run towards the goal shortly after,» Scuderi recalled the incident. «I then put everything I had into the sprint back and managed to catch up to him. Only the blocking of his shot went pretty badly for me.»
Following this, Scuderi had to endure a tremendous ordeal. This refers even to the hours that followed the injury. They first had to go to a second hospital in Warsaw, and then his knee swelled up «as thick as two footballs.» «The next morning, I was pushed to breakfast in a wheelchair,» he said.
Dario Scuderi Could Have Even Lost His Leg
Dortmund’s team doctor, Dr. Markus Braun, who was with the first team for the Champions League match later that evening, was deeply concerned. «He said we urgently needed to get to Dortmund because there was a risk of compartment syndrome, meaning too much fluid was pressing on tissues, tendons, and nerves,» Scuderi stated.
He declined the offer of a private jet from CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and traveled home with the first team as planned. Scuderi, who was accidentally tipped out of his wheelchair by an airport employee during check-in, sat alone in a row of three at the front of the plane during the journey, «directly in front of Tuchel and Michael Zorc.»
Upon arrival, he underwent immediate emergency surgery. It was the first of many times Scuderi had to go under the knife. At one point, there was even a danger he would lose his leg. «I was completely shocked. When I woke up, I immediately lifted my blood-soaked robe. I was so relieved that my leg was still attached,» he said.
First Training Session After 623 Days Out Injured
Despite everything, Scuderi did not give up, not even a little. With immense ambition, he fought against an early end to his career – and indeed made progress step by step. The crucial breakthrough that allowed him to eventually re-enter training came from Rome. A doctor fitted him with a tiny brace, which was incorporated like an insole into his football boots to compensate for the dysfunction of his damaged leg nerves. Scuderi: «The brace was the breakthrough, it allowed me to play again.»
At the end of May 2018, after an absence of 623 days and having successfully passed medical clearance for competitive sport, he participated in his first training session again. Three months later, he played a few minutes in a friendly match for Dortmund’s U23 team.
On May 8, 2019, the day arrived: Scuderi was back in a matchday squad after an absence of 967 days. However, he did not get to play for Dortmund’s U23. «I had hoped to get a few minutes,» he recalled. «I think they simply wanted to minimize the risk of another injury as much as possible.»
‘I Have No Problems, But a Scar from 115 Stitches’
Shortly thereafter, his time as a player at BVB came to an end. Scuderi’s expiring contract with the second team was not extended. He turned down offers at a similar level to the Regionalliga because Borussia offered him the opportunity to start as a coach in the football academy. In parallel, he tried again in his hometown at FC Iserlohn 46/49, but after playing one match, it was clear: the post-career career was beginning.
Through the position as a coach for typically nine- to eleven-year-olds, Scuderi eventually landed in scouting. The fact that he has a good eye for the area where his entire career essentially played out as a former player is proven by the examples of Inacio, Mane, and Reggiani. The latter two have even already secured professional contracts.
And how is Scuderi’s knee doing? «Great, I have no problems, but a scar from 115 stitches,» he said at the time. «I can walk normally, but I can’t lift my foot properly. They said the nerve would recover on its own, but it remains uncertain how long that will take or if it will happen at all.»
Dario Scuderi: Overview of His Career in BVB’s U17 and U19
| Team | Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borussia Dortmund U17 | 24 | 2 | 1 |
| Borussia Dortmund U19 | 36 | 1 | 5 |