CEO of Borussia Dortmund Hans-Joachim Watzke has suggested that potential cases of post-traumatic stress disorder could be to blame for the players' capitulation since the start of the season.





It was April 11 when Dortmund's team bus was hit by a bomb attack ahead of the game against Champions League opponents Atletico Madrid at the Westfaldstadion.





The attack left centre-half Marc Bartra in need of surgery on a broken bone in the wrist, while a nearby police officer was also hospitalised.

And now, after a brilliant start to the Bundesliga campaign, Watzke has claimed that it could be due to the attack that his side have fallen so drastically.





​ "We should not underestimate that it can still trigger post-traumatic stress months after it happened," Watzke said during his speech at the club's annual shareholders' meeting, according to ESPN.





"I've discussed this with psychologists. They say that the risk is extremely high some six, seven months after such an attack. We have professional help."

After such a strong start to the current campaign, Dortmund have fallen hugely. Having picked up 19 points from their opening seven games, the side have since only accumulated two points from their following six matches.





This switch of form leaves the club in fifth - eight points adrift from leaders Bayern Munich, and in desperate need of rejuvenation some time soon.

While the club remain patient with manager Peter Bosz, Dortmund have also already been knocked out of the Champions League - a competition in which they'd have expected to reach the latter stages of when the season kicked off.