The movie and TV director, 63, is a member of the Polish Film Academy and lectures at the National Film School in Łódź, one of the world’s major film schools, where he often literally wears his love for Borussia Dortmund on his sleeve.

When and how did you first become a Borussia Dortmund fan?
It started when the Polish trio (Blaszczykowski, Piszczek and Lewandowski, Ed.) were playing for Borussia Dortmund. But Jürgen Klopp really sealed the deal for me. He is a quintessential modern-day role model, not only for my students, but for all young people. His empathy in interactions with players and coworkers is the reason I became a Borussia Dortmund fan. His biography “Bring the Noise” has long been required reading for us. I was even more impressed when I found out from my friend Norwegian-American filmmaker Kirk Kjeldsen about Borussia Dortmund’s history, with its deep working class roots and anti-Nazi efforts. 

How popular is Borussia Dortmund in Poland?
My favorite player in particular, Łukasz Piszczek, whose resilience and dedication I really admire, is very popular here. And I always get a warm reception when I hold my faculty meetings wearing my Borussia Dortmund shirt. My son Anton loves Axel Witsel, whom he fondly calls “The Wasp” because of his black and yellow strip and the mask he needed to wear for some of last season.

Evonik co-financed an award-winning documentary about “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. What do you like best about the film?
This film shows in a really wonderful way that there is more to life than films, soccer and winning. Thanks to my elder daughter Aniela, who lives in Spain, I’m also a fan of Real Betis Balompié and their anthem: “Viva er Beti manque pierda!” (Long live Betis, even when they lose!). These two anthems complement each other well. What’s on my bucket list? Watching Borussia Dortmund play against Betis in the Champions League final!

Do you think Borussia Dortmund is strong enough to win the German Championship this year?
I really hope so. It will largely depend on the legs and head of my other current favorite player: Erling Haaland, or the Buddhist, as I prefer to call him. 
Interview: Uwe Schedlbauer

In this section, our main sponsor Evonik, who supports us at all of our international games, lets soccer fans who feel close to Borussia Dortmund but live nowhere near SIGNAL IDUNA PARK have their say. 

EVONIK IN POLAND
Evonik can be found in 100 different countries, all of which are home to countless Borussia Dortmund fans. Poland, for example, the home of Piotr Mikucki and Lukas Piszczek, is a key sales territory for Evonik. Thirteen employees work at the Warsaw branch, which Evonik opened in February 2020 to take account of the growing importance of its neighbors in the East. Last year, Poland overtook the UK and now ranks as Germany’s sixth largest trade partner.