Dortmund fans make Barrios stay

Lucas Barrios decided not to leave Borussia Dortmund in the January transfer window because he did not want to let the club’s fans down.

The Paraguay international was believed to be on his way to the English Premier League with Fulham, but the transfer reportedly fell through.

Barrios, 27, has now claimed the Dortmund supporters’ reaction to him coming off the bench against Hoffenheim on Saturday was the reason he did not move to England.

“Dortmund’s financial demands have nothing to do with it,” he was quoted as saying by Bild.

“I stayed here because of the fans. The support they showed me last weekend made me realise that I shouldn’t leave this club.”

“I am completely focused on Borussia now, and I’m not thinking about a possible summer exit. I just want to be successful again here. I don’t care about anything else at the moment.”

Barrios played a key role in Dortmund’s Bundesliga title success last term, but has mainly been warming the bench in 2011/12 following the emergence of Robert Lewandowski.