Kevin Großkreutz’s Disastrous Brazil Trip: ‘If That Had Been a Teammate, I Would’ve Punched Him’

Borussia Dortmund is set to face Bayer Leverkusen next. About 15 years ago, a wild incident involving BVB occurred leading up to this exact fixture. At the center of it all: Kevin Großkreutz.

Incomplete registration documents submitted to FIFA by Galatasaray were once the reason Kevin Großkreutz was unable to play for several months after his transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Istanbul in the summer of 2015. And when he was finally cleared, he moved to VfB Stuttgart – without ever playing a single minute for the venerable Turkish club.

Nevertheless, Großkreutz did score a goal abroad, several years prior. The long-serving BVB professional and 2014 World Cup winner once netted a penalty in Brazil. Großkreutz was part of an unofficial match played annually between two favelas in Belo Horizonte.

Großkreutz will certainly never forget that trip at the end of 2010. But it has less to do with his performance on a muddy village pitch and more with a bizarre story that unfolded just a few days later.

Despite language barriers, Großkreutz, who always got along well with foreign players, visited his teammate and BVB legend Dede in Brazil during his semi-annual vacation home. However, the former left-back was already warned before the journey that it wouldn’t be without its challenges.

Zorc’s Stern Warning to Dede About Großkreutz

Shortly before, the Borussians, who under Jürgen Klopp were already ten points clear at the top of the league after the first half of the season, celebrated their Christmas party. There, manager Michael Zorc pulled Dede, his very first transfer, aside and, regarding the upcoming trip, said: ‘You need to be careful with Kevin.’ Zorc was ‘really serious,’ as Dede recently recounted on the ‘Viertelstunde Fußball’ podcast hosted by Großkreutz and commentator Cornelius Küpper.

However, no one approached the stay with much caution. ‘We celebrated for a few days in my city first,’ Dede explained. Großkreutz, who embarked on the trip with a friend, meanwhile described: ‘At Dede’s house, we also polished off quite a few beers, for four days straight. I think we just kept drinking. There were probably always 150 people in the house.’

Dede quickly got an initial impression of what was happening. ‘In the first few days, when I saw Kevin – oh my God,’ he said, realizing what Zorc had wisely warned him about: ‘I think I really need to be careful. I constantly felt the pressure that nothing bad should happen.’

A Fatal Error on Cabo Frio Beach

But something did indeed happen: Shortly after converting his penalty, Großkreutz and his friend drove from Belo Horizonte to the city of Cabo Frio in the state of Rio de Janeiro – without Dede. He stayed with his parents for a few more days but sent along two friends as escorts.

Großkreutz recalled Dede warning him about the sun: ‘Please Kevin, put on sunscreen. No matter what the weather is like.’ Upon arrival at the hotel, Großkreutz suggested to his companion: ‘Come on, let’s go to the beach, have a few beers. So we had a few beers. One or two too many, perhaps, as always.’

Großkreutz hadn’t forgotten the urgent advice from the absent Dede, but he didn’t deem it necessary – a fatal error, as it would soon turn out. ‘It was cloudy on the beach and I thought: Why would a Brazilian put on sunscreen? Incredible, it’s cloudy!’ Großkreutz recounted. ‘Then I had another beer and took a short nap. I lay on the towel and fell asleep.’

«I Woke Up and My Shoulder Was Macerated»

According to the midfielder, a short nap turned into two hours. The sun had burned itself into Großkreutz’s skin. ‘I woke up and my shoulder was macerated, truly ruined. Everything was already oozing out, it was disgusting. I can’t even describe it. It wasn’t just sunburn anymore – it was like someone had poured hot water over you,’ Großkreutz said.

Probably due to his alcohol level, he initially underestimated the extent of the burns and thought: ‘Somehow it’ll be fine, I guess. I had a few more beers.’ Großkreutz’s trip was supposed to last four more days, but the festering skin and unbearable pain brought him to his senses.

The unsuspecting Dede then received a call from his friends. ‘He’s completely red,’ they said. ‘I thought: A little red, that’s normal. But then Kevin was on the phone and just said: I’m not doing well. Immediately, my alarm bells went off, and Zorc’s voice was in my head.’

Brazil’s «Secret Remedy»: Vinegar for Sunburn

Dede got in his car and rushed to Großkreutz. When he saw him, ‘I was shocked,’ he recounted. A friend of Dede’s eventually tried to bring relief with a method Großkreutz dubbed a ‘secret remedy’: vinegar was supposed to help the burned skin. However, Großkreutz stated: ‘It burned so badly, even an hour later. If that had been a teammate, I would’ve punched him. I somehow got through the day with beer, but it was still really painful. Then I lay down in bed, but it was impossible. I couldn’t lie down and didn’t sleep all night. My shoulder was completely ruined.’

Großkreutz tried ibuprofen the next morning and called Dortmund’s team doctor, Dr. Markus Braun. ‘He said: Difficult. I also didn’t want to go to a doctor in Brazil. So I told Dede: I think there’s no point in staying here anymore. I have to go home.’

A little later, Großkreutz was on the plane – shirtless. ‘I flew shirtless from Brazil to Frankfurt. And it was winter here. I sat bolt upright in the plane, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t sleep either. I took painkillers, but they didn’t do anything. I stood shirtless at the airport and felt a bit foolish,’ he said.

Großkreutz’s Shoulder Still Bears Scars Today

Großkreutz landed on December 31st around 5 PM and was immediately driven to Dr. Braun. He gave him injections for the pain and cream for the horrific sunburn. ‘And then I celebrated New Year’s Eve,’ Großkreutz described.

Five days later, the then 22-year-old was on the pitch for BVB’s training start. ‘What have you done again?’ Klopp reportedly said to him. ‘I trained, but I was still peeling all over my body during the preparation. The skin could be peeled off everywhere.’ Dede revealed: ‘Initially, he wasn’t allowed to shower in the changing room so no one would see it. Kevin showered at home.’

Großkreutz, whose burned shoulder, according to him, took a long time to heal (‘It took a really long time, it was crazy’) and is still marked by small scars today, showed no immediate dip in his athletic performance.

«The Sunburn Gifted Us the Championship»

Just nine days after returning to the training pitch, Großkreutz scored perhaps his two most important goals during his six-year tenure at BVB. In the away match against Bayer Leverkusen, who are also the Westphalians’ next opponent, he exploded shortly after halftime: With two goals and an assist between the 49th and 55th minutes, Großkreutz became the match-winner in the 3-1 victory – and thus paved the way for Borussia to their first championship of the Klopp era against their fiercest rival.

Klopp’s young wild ones never relinquished their lead. In the end, they finished seven points ahead of Leverkusen and won a title for the first time after a nine-year drought.

It marked the beginning of one of the most successful periods in Dortmund’s club history. Or, as the now 37-year-old Großkreutz put it: ‘The sunburn gifted us the championship.’

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