Klopp eyes perfect send-off with cup victory
Print Edition
Borussia Dortmund plans to send off coach Jurgen Klopp with the German Cup title he has wished for after it reached next month’s final by shocking defending champion Bayern Munich.
Dortmund will play either VfL Wolfsburg or third-division giant-killer Arminia Bielefeld at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on May 30. Borussia knocked out Bayern with a 2-0 win in the penalty shoot-out after Tuesday’s semifinal finished 1-1 after extra-time in Munich.
The Berlin final will be Klopp’s final appearance as Dortmund’s head coach after seven successful years.
It won the 2011 and 2012 league titles, before finishing runner-up to Bayern for the last two years, and reached the 2013 Champions League final.
It will be the third time in four years that Dortmund has reached the cup final under Klopp having routed Bayern 5-2 in the 2012 final before losing 0-2 to the Bavarians last year after extra-time.
“We want to bring the cup back to Dortmund,” said Klopp, after Bayern missed all four of its spot-kicks in the Munich shoot-out. “I wanted to go back to Berlin again, it’s something I had been thinking about, but you don’t need to talk about me at the moment.”
When he announced he was leaving a fortnight ago, Klopp said he wanted one last title and another trip on an open-air bus along the Borsigplatz in Dortmund’s city center to celebrate with their fans.
“That would be a wonderful, but deserved send-off,” said Dortmund’s director of sport Michael Zorc in the direction of his coach.
While the Dortmund squad sported “Berlin, here we come” T-shirts after its Allianz Arena triumph, Klopp singled out Borussia’s Australia goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak for praise.
“In games like that you need big moments and an exceptional performance in goal. He was superb,” said Klopp, as Lagerak stepped in to replace injured first-choice Roman Weidenfeller.
With four games left, the 2013 Champions League finalist could finish in the German league’s top six to qualify for the Europa League next season.
Bayern’s hopes of reaching the Champions League final suffered a severe blow with winger Arjen Robben ruled out for the rest of the season and striker Robert Lewandowski also hurt in the defeat.
Robben sustained a torn calf muscle 16 minutes into his comeback from a five-week injury absence and Lewandowski broke his jaw and nose and suffered a concussion after a clash with the Dortmund keeper.
The latest injuries are especially bitter with Robben and Lewandowski involved in 45 percent of Bayern’s 117 goals in all competitions this season.
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