He nearly lost his leg to a horror injury, yet the man who spotted Inacio, Reggiani and Co. is still living his dream at BVB

Scuderi works for BVB as a scout specialising in top talent. In this role, the Italian travels the world searching for gems in youth ranks who could interest Borussia.

Since hanging up his boots in 2019, he has already delivered several standout performers to Dortmund. He secured the signing of Filippo Mane from Sampdoria Genoa's U19s in early 2021, and he also unearthed Samuele Inacio and Luca Reggiani, both of whom have already broken into the first team this season.

"It feels great. I'm often travelling around Europe, seeing lots of different countries and lots of good players. I enjoy watching football and I enjoy analysing it," he told the club podcast.

One thing is certain: had he had a choice, Scuderi would still be a professional footballer at the peak of his career. Fate had other plans. His injury was so severe that even superstar Neymar sent get-well wishes.

What happened? At 18, Scuderi was on the pitch for BVB's U19s in Warsaw during a Youth League match—the same competition he now follows to spot the next generation of talent.

In Poland, he suffered "the most serious knee injury imaginable," according to Munich knee specialist Dr Michael Strobel. The diagnosis: a dislocated knee, double cruciate ligament rupture, lateral ligament rupture and meniscus damage.

Scuderi rose through the youth ranks at Borussia, winning two league titles under Hannes Wolf before Thomas Tuchel planned to convert him into a right-back in 2016. Then, in September, a misplaced pass led to a fateful sprint.

"I was caught high up the pitch, so my opponent had a clear run on goal," Scuderi recalled. "I poured everything into the sprint, managed to catch him, but blocking his shot went badly wrong."

What followed was an ordeal. After the injury, he was taken to a second hospital in Warsaw, and his knee swelled up "as big as two footballs". The next morning, he was wheeled to breakfast in a wheelchair, he recalls.

Dortmund's team doctor, Dr Markus Braun, who was travelling with the first-team squad for that evening's Champions League match, was deeply concerned. "He said we had to get back to Dortmund urgently, as there was a risk of compartment syndrome—too much fluid pressing on the tissue, tendons and nerves," Scuderi explained.

Scuderi rejected managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke's offer of a private jet and travelled home with the first-team squad. During check-in, an airport employee knocked him out of his wheelchair, and he sat alone at the front in a row of three, directly in front of Tuchel and Michael Zorc.

Upon landing, he underwent emergency surgery—the first of many procedures. At one point, there was even a risk that he might lose his leg. "I was completely shocked. When I woke up, I immediately lifted my blood-soaked cape. I was so relieved that my leg was still there," he said.

Despite the setbacks, Scuderi refused to give in. Determined to avoid an early retirement, he pressed on and made steady progress. The crucial breakthrough that eventually allowed him to return to training came from Rome, where a doctor fitted him with a tiny splint—integrated into his boot like an insole—to compensate for his damaged leg nerves. Scuderi states, "The splint was the breakthrough; it allowed me to play again."

On 31 May 2018, 623 days after his last appearance and having passed a full medical, he returned to training. Three months later he played a few minutes in a friendly for Dortmund's U23 side.

On 8 May 2019, after 967 days out, he was finally named in Dortmund's U23 matchday squad. Still, he did not take the field. "I'd really hoped to get a few minutes," he said. "I think they just wanted to minimise the risk of another injury as much as possible."

Shortly afterwards, his playing career at BVB came to an end when the club decided not to renew his expiring contract with the reserve team. Scuderi rejected offers at a similar level to the Regionalliga because Borussia had offered him the chance to start as a coach at the football academy. Concurrently, he made a brief comeback in his hometown with FC Iserlohn 46/49, but after just one match it was clear that his playing days were over.

Starting out as a coach of nine- to eleven-year-olds, he soon moved into scouting. His signings of Inacio, Mane and Reggiani—the latter two of whom have already turned professional—demonstrate that his player-eye for talent remains sharp.

As for his knee, Scuderi says, "It's great—no problems, just a scar from 115 stitches." He adds, "I walk normally, but I can't lift my foot properly. The doctors say the nerve will heal on its own, but we don't know how long that will take, or even if it will happen."

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