Dortmund teenager Karetsas is back in training after health problems in Champions League
Borussia Dortmund says young midfielder Konstantinos Karetsas is back in training just over a week after he slumped to the ground in an alarming medical incident on his Champions League debut. The 18-year-old midfielder passed the ball to a teammate then signaled his distress to the referee before sitting on the grass during Dortmund’s 3-2 win over Villarreal on Sept. 8.
He was in tears as he was stretchered off with suspected circulatory problems and was then taken to hospital, where he stayed for much of last week.
Background: how the league phase works
The Champions League format introduced in 2024/25 puts 36 clubs in a single league table. Each club plays eight different opponents, with four matches at home and four away. A win earns three points and a draw earns one. Because teams face different opponents, a single result does not tell the whole story of a club's position.
The top eight advance directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing ninth to 24th enter a two-legged knockout play-off; those finishing 25th or lower are eliminated. When following a match report, distinguish the result from its effect on qualification: that depends on the wider table and the fixtures still to come.
Sources and context
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