Guardiola, Zlatan leave on a high
Print Edition
BAYERN Munich beat Borussia Dortmund 4-3 on penalties to win the German Cup for the 18th time on Saturday, handing coach Pep Guardiola another domestic double in his final game in charge.
Bayern, which also won the Bundesliga for a record fourth straight time, kept its cool in the shootout after a goalless 120 minutes with Douglas Costa beating keeper Roman Buerki with Bayern’s last penalty after two Dortmund players had missed.
It was Bayern’s second Cup win after it lifted the trophy in 2015 when it also beat Dortmund while the Ruhr valley club has now lost in the final for the third straight year.
Guardiola, who has won three league titles and two Cups in three seasons, hugged his players with tears streaming down his face. He is joining Manchester City next season.
“It is amazing to end these great years here with such a game,” he told reporters. “I don’t look at titles or trophies. These are numbers. My track record is what I experience.”
The win also softened the disappointment of Bayern’s third consecutive Champions League semifinal exit under Guardiola earlier this month.
“I had to win, win, win from the start and had the support of many great people. I am satisfied to be leaving with such a game,” the Spaniard said.
It was also a farewell for Dortmund captain Mats Hummels, who will join Bayern next season, having lost his third successive German Cup final.
“It is obviously bitter to come that close every time and fail,” Hummels said. “We fought a good battle and we are very disappointed. For me, my time at Dortmund was unforgettable and I will miss them all.”
In France, Zlatan Ibrahimovic ended his Paris Saint-Germain career in style, scoring twice and setting up another to reach 50 goals in an outstanding farewell season as bitter rival Marseille was beaten 4-2 in the French Cup final on Saturday.
“It has been a fantastic adventure for me,” Ibrahimovic said. “We know how it was in the beginning and how it is today. I can just say ‘Mission completed.’”
Asked if he will miss the French league, or whether Ligue 1 will miss him, he replied with a typical curt reply: ‘You tell me.’
“I didn’t speak French, and still I won everything,” he said. “I came, I saw, I conquered. Thank you.”
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