Borussia Dortmund's players were left without the opportunity to shower at the Olympic Stadium in Baku after the 2-1 victory against Sabah in a match from the third round of the main phase of the Champions League.
According to information from the German newspaper Bild, the decision was made due to concerns about the possible presence of bacteria in the facility's plumbing system. These are microorganisms that, when entering the respiratory tract through fine water droplets, can cause severe pneumonia.
The head coach of the German team, Niko Kovac, confirmed that the players were recommended not to use the stadium showers. The same instructions were given before the match, when Borussia held a training session at the facility.
Instead, the players were to use the bathrooms at the hotel where the team was staying during their stay in the Azerbaijani capital.
The precautionary measure was taken to avoid a possible health risk for the players and staff.
Borussia's sporting director Ole Book also commented on the situation, citing the more comfortable conditions at the hotel as the reason the team preferred to shower there.
The case attracted attention because of the unusual measures taken by the German club during its visit to Baku. At the moment, the information mentioned speaks of concerns about the plumbing system, and not about confirmed infection of football players.
On the field, Borussia still fulfilled its task and left with a 2-1 victory, but the organization of the team's stay in Baku turned out to be an additional topic after the Champions League match.