‘There is little chance you will find me on the pitch after the final whistle, crying my eyes out’.
Those are Juergen Klopp’s words, spoken ahead of last week’s press conference prior to Dortmund’s clash with Wolfsburg that ended in a 2-1 defeat for the Black and Yellows. One week later, two days before Klopp will attend his last press conference as the head coach of Borussia Dortmund on home soil, one is forgiven to wonder if those words still stand.
After seven years of what Klopp himself described as ‘rock ‘n’ roll football’, the BVB fairy tale is about to peak this Saturday at home against Bremen. Whilst officially capped off in Berlin at the Cup final one week later, a packed Westfalenstadion brimming over with emotion can be expected come this Saturday, with preparations running at full speed to give Klopp the farewell he has unquestionably earned himself.
Enter Werder Bremen. The Northern Germans currently sit in eighth and heavily breathe down Dortmund’s neck, level on points and only trailing BVB due to a weaker goal difference.
To say that European football is in sight for Werder would be a gross understatement; the goal difference technicality aside, they have notched up the points to finish seventh. Right now, the only obstacle that stands between every Bremen supporter’s dream of European nights at the Weserstadion and the realisation of that is Borussia Dortmund, whose fans incidentally happen to chase the same dream.
However, contrary to Klopp’s side, Bremen first had to go through a dry spell of five years void of European nights to get here. Thus, Werder players and fans alike are understandably yearning for the midweek matches under floodlights to return to their home ground. In other words, Bremen will refuse to eat humble pie this weekend and will not be willing to assume the role of the sparring partner for a Dortmund side that is geared up for a festive weekend.
It goes without saying that Klopp, the relentless worker he is, will raise a warning finger later this week and admonish his players that none of this must happen. That said, even if he gets the players’ attitudes right for the occasion, Bremen is, regardless, one of the more treacherous teams to face on the last day of the season as aforementioned.
In addition to that, not only did Bremen tear up BVB’s defence at whim during its first encounter this season, there is also the curious case of Argentine Franco Di Santo, who is supposedly about to play his last match for Bremen and will be poised to bow out in style.
On Dortmund’s end, the entire season boils down to the last 90 minutes of Bundesliga football. The jury is still out on what to label Klopp’s last campaign as, with an against-all-odds qualification for Europa League football and the ensuing financial benefits likely to bring the season to a mellow conclusion in the public eye.
Europa League group stage participation racks up around €30 million, money Borussia Dortmund will be in dire need of to invest in new legs and retain the likes of Mats Hummels, Marco Reus and other players disappointed about failing to board the Champions League train for next season. The latest addition to the team, Kevin Kampl, condensed those feelings after the Wolfsburg defeat.
“It is the last-ever home game for both our coach and Sebastian Kehl, so it’ll be something quite special. We want to clinch the Europa League spot,” Kampl told Dortmund’s website.
The upshot is even if you factor out Klopp’s farewell for a minute, there is still a whole lot at stake for both sides. And – from a Dortmund perspective – one might be slightly worried if the ingredients of a poignant farewell celebration and a fiery footballing contest will blend well or could be somewhat at odds.
Would failure to bowl over Bremen diminish post-match enthusiasm and festivities for Klopp? Possibly.
Could the crowd underestimate the importance of standing behind the players and instead largely sing for Klopp or, worse than that, fall into lethargy? Not so likely, but you can see where this is going.
It is a double-edged sword that is ironically predestined to end on a sad note. On account of this, no matter how positive the scoreline, the 23rd of May is certain to become a bittersweet afternoon for every Dortmund fan.
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