Exclusive | Marcel Schmelzer Slams Ballon d'Or 'Politics', Puts Rivalry Aside To Praise Harry Kane

Marcel Schmelzer on Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or 2026 win and more© Getty

Few players embody the spirit of Borussia Dortmund quite like Marcel Schmelzer. A vital cog in Jurgen Klopp's back-to-back Bundesliga-winning sides in 2011 and 2012, the former left-back knows precisely what it takes to dethrone the mighty Bayern Munich. In this exclusive chat with NDTV, Schmelzer spoke candidly about the ruthless mentality that is required to win the Bundesliga title, which not many teams seem to possess at the moment. In the interview, Schmelzer, a former Germany international, also shared his honest thoughts on Harry Kane's recent Ballon d'Or triumph, and reflected on whether Dortmund's youth-first philosophy can finally deliver silverware once again.

Question:Bayern Munich has dominated the Bundesliga for over a decade. From your experience winning titles with Dortmund, what is the key difference between a team that merely challenges Bayern and one that actually wins the league?

Marcel Schmelzer:The key is that you cannot only focus on the games against Bayern; you have to focus on every single game the way Bayern did for so many years. It does not matter who the opponent is. If you play Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday and then travel to play a smaller club on Saturday, it is natural for a player to think they can get away with playing at 80%. But if the whole team plays at 80%, you will struggle even against smaller opponents because they have spent seven days preparing exclusively for you.

The theory is to get that relaxed mindset out of your head and treat every match with equal focus. In practice, you just have to win. Sometimes we win games where we might not be the better team or deserve the three points, but we get them anyway. At the end of the season, nobody asks if you deserved the points in a specific game. That is what Bayern did for years, they simply won their games and stayed at the top.

Question: Harry Kane recently won the Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Bundesliga-based player to do so since Matthias Sammer in 1996. Even though he plays for a rival team, what does this achievement mean for the Bundesliga's global standing?

Marcel Schmelzer:It is definitely positive. To be honest, there were Bundesliga players in the past who deserved the prize as well. Personally, I am not a big fan of the award because it relies on votes. Sometimes there's too much politics. If you ask the players who play on the pitch, they will give you the most accurate answers because they know who the best really are. If players had voted over the last few years, I am confident Franck Ribéry, Wesley Sneijder, and Robert Lewandowski would have won. Two of them were playing in the Bundesliga at the time.

This prize is not about a player's overall legacy, it is strictly about their performance over a single year. I am just very happy that Harry Kane won it this year instead of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo winning it again.

Question:Dortmund is famous for nurturing young talent, but some feel this focus has hindered the club's ability to consistently win titles. Do you believe a club can successfully develop youth while simultaneously winning the Bundesliga?

Marcel Schmelzer: We will see. The club has publicly stated its focus on youth development rather than buying expensive players from other teams. It is a difficult path because it requires immense patience from the club, the hierarchy, and the supporters. If everyone buys into the philosophy, it can definitely happen. But youth development takes time. You also need a proper squad balance-a good mix of experienced, high-quality players and youngsters. You cannot challenge Bayern Munich with eleven 18-year-olds. The path we are on right now looks very promising, and we are mounting a much stronger challenge than in recent years.

Question:You won two Bundesliga titles with Dortmund. What made those squads so special, and what can the current team learn from them?

Marcel Schmelzer:It goes back to having that correct balance. We had three or four highly experienced figures like our captain Sebastian Kehl and Roman Weidenfeller. They helped us grow, guided us through difficult moments, and taught us how to handle pressure. Alongside them, we had young, hungry players aged 19 to 21, as well as Nuri Sahin, who was only 20 but had already played for four years.

On top of that, our coaching staff under Jurgen Klopp was incredibly special. We were a completely unified group. He was the leader who marched in front, and we followed him.

Rapid-Fire Round

Question: First, who is one current Dortmund player who excites you the most?

Marcel Schmelzer:Felix Nmecha.

Question:Would you choose winning the World Cup with Germany or winning the treble (including the Champions League) with Borussia Dortmund?

Marcel Schmelzer:Because you said treble, I will choose the treble. It would've been tough to choose between the World Cup and the Champions League.

Question: Would you prefer winning a match 1-0 with a clean sheet, or winning 4-3 with you scoring the winning goal?

Marcel Schmelzer: Winning 4-3 with me scoring!

Question:What is your prediction for the next year Borussia Dortmund wins the Bundesliga?

Marcel Schmelzer: 2029.

Question:Would you prefer beating Bayern Munich 1-0 or beating Schalke 3-0?

Marcel Schmelzer:If you had said beating Schalke 4-0, I would take that. But right now, I would choose the 1-0 against Munich. We are equal on points, so beating them in Der Klassiker puts us directly ahead.

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