Dortmund has a chance to beat the Oktoberfest hosts by hosting the greatest party in German football for the first time since 2012.
BVB was sixth when the Bundesliga was suspended for the World Cup, nine points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich. The Dortmund team had changed, with 10 players having gone and the same number joining. They have one game left to win the championship right now.
If things fall into place on Saturday, Sebastian Kehl “will have a glass of red wine on Sunday and will enjoy everything.” The Borussia Dortmund Sporting Director will not be the only one celebrating.
Dortmund has a chance to beat the Oktoberfest hosts by hosting the greatest party in German football for the first time since 2012. The Bundesliga may have a winner for the first time since 2012 who is not named Bayern Munich. It's Borussia Dortmund. With two more points than Bayern at 70 after 33 matches, all they need to do is defeat Mainz on Saturday at Signal Iduna Park in front of their boisterous home crowd. Dortmund last won a title in the DFB Pokal final in 2021. Due to pandemic restrictions, they were unable to share the occasion with their supporters. When they win on the 34th gameday of the 2022–23 season, they'll more than make up for it.
The 81,365 capacity was reached for all 17 of the league's games during the current season. The 18th can raise the roof of the legendary location.
Job's not done, but we're ready. pic.twitter.com/ICixNCR1bu
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) May 25, 2023
“How many people could we bring in on Saturday? I would say perhaps 5,00,000. But the stadium is limited,” says Kehl, who’s had tons of ticket requests for Saturday, including from the players for their families.
It’s been a week without a day off at the club. “What we did is we spoke with the team about this stuff on Monday and Tuesday, and that is something that my experience (as a player) taught me. Then onwards to Saturday, focus only on the game.”
Kehl has already been here. The defensive midfielder was able to win the league championship three times during his 314-game playing career at Dortmund over the course of 14 years. The former club captain is aware of the cliché in sports that you should concentrate on the current match but that having a plan is essential.“Everybody is just speaking about Saturday but we, as a club, need to organise stuff for Sunday. Because we know what will happen afterwards here in Dortmund. I was there three times and it will be incredible.”
“There is no better place to celebrate that than Dortmund,” he reiterates.
What makes him so confident there will be celebrations? After all, the team they face this weekend defeated Bayern Munich 3-1 just last month. “It doesn’t matter which team is the opponent on Saturday,” Kehl says, almost throwing in The Rock impression. “It’s about us.” And for good reason too.
Dortmund will lead the Bundesliga in home victories in 2023. the group in Europe with the most goals scored so far this year. the squad in 2023's European football with the most points. “We are strong enough to do it one more time.” That would scarcely seem to be the case in November 2022.
You never stopped cheering, not even a second.
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) May 21, 2023
Thank you ?? pic.twitter.com/lU53J0GmOJ
Nine wins and one draw since winter break
BVB was sixth in the Bundesliga standings when play was suspended for the World Cup, nine points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich. A busy summer transfer period resulted in 10 players leaving the club and an equal number joining, giving Dortmund a fresh appearance. Kehl acknowledges that the players and management were "unhappy" and "not patient" in the first half of the season. In the ten games played since the winter break, there have been nine victories and one tie.
Dortmund could feel it. A grip on the title. “If you have nine wins in a row in March, then you can feel it.”
Then, a familiar script followed. Bayern Munich would give their Der Klassiker rivals the ‘ah s**t, here we go again’ meme feeling when they toppled the table leaders with a 4-2 win in March. “It was like a kick on that matchday in Munich because we could’ve done much better,” Kehl recalls.
See you Saturday ☝️pic.twitter.com/vpqnVXcuiW
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) May 21, 2023
In the past ten years, during which time Dortmund had won ten straight seasons, Bayern had done this to them a few times. In 2018/19, only two points separated the two teams. After that victory in April, the reigning champions' lead over BVB was only two points. Currently, the latter leads the 31-time champs by two points. BVB's Sporting Director claims that despite the team losing to a 10-man VfB Stuttgart and Bochum, "belief was always there."
Certainly, a tale like Sebastian Haller's does. Last summer, shortly after moving from Ajax to Dortmund, the 28-year-old received a testicular cancer diagnosis. Prior to his return to the field in January and his first competitive game for the club, he underwent two operations and underwent chemotherapy in the months that followed. He scored a hat-trick in that game. As he assumed the position that Erling Haaland had up until the final season, he would go on to score six more goals and add three assists to his total. Kehl says, "It's like a miracle." What a person!"
Despite the fact that Haller graduated from Ajax, Dortmund have been most known for consistently developing young talent rather than purchasing it. of introducing them early. not just the players but also the management. When Jurgen Klopp won his first league championship with Dortmund, he was 42 years old. In his debut game in command at the club, he was the same age as Thomas Tuchel. Kehl thinks that Edin Terzic, the manager at the moment, has the chance to demonstrate that, at the age of 40, he is familiar with "how it works."
“He is Dortmunder Junge,” says Kehl. Translation: he is from Dortmund. Born and raised here. “He was part of our club in the scouting department (when he joined). As an assistant coach. Then part-time coach,” adds Kehl.
He might manage a Bundesliga-champion team on Saturday. A genuine Dortmund tale that will be produced there.
