'No happy ending' for tearful Dortmund

• by Daniel Wighton , May 29, 2023

A tearful Borussia Dortmund coach 

Dortmund held a two-point lead atop the standings before the final round but were held 2-2 at home by Mainz, allowing Bayern, which won 2-1 at Cologne, to jump up to first place, winning the title on goal difference. 

Terzic was seen in front of the club's famous yellow wall after the final whistle in tears, as the fans chanted the Dortmund-born coach's name. 

"You can see how hard and how tough this sport that we fell in love with can be," Terzic said, adding "it hurts extremely -- there will be no happy ending for us this year."

Dortmund won the unlikely support of Bayern captain Thomas Mueller, who took time out from celebrating his side's 11th straight title -- and his 12th Bundesliga championship -- to express sympathy. 

"I'm not apologizing for becoming champions and we're happy about that, but when you think of the others, then I feel a bit sorry. Even if they don't want or need to hear it. I'm not trying to present myself as big-hearted or anything, but it's tough."

Captain Mats Hummels, the only member of the squad to have tasted championship glory with Dortmund said "the next days will be brutal. It's going to be difficult to digest. It will take more than a few days."

Dortmund midfielder Emre Can said simply: "We gave everything as a team but it wasn't to be. We wanted it but in the end we didn't make it."

Dortmund led the standings four times this season, but each time dropped points and allowed Bayern to return to the summit. 

Despite a record 11th straight Bundesliga title win, Bayern Munich's immediate future was thrown into serious doubt after the shock sackings of CEO Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.

Manager Thomas Tuchel revealed the decision had been pre-meditated, regardless of the result of Saturday's matches. 

"I've known since yesterday" Tuchel said, saying "the two of them were responsible for the journey we've been on together. I'm trying to process it now."

The drama continued after the sacking, with Kahn taking to Twitter and complaining he had been banned from the club's title celebration. 

Kahn congratulated the team on their win, but said "I would love to celebrate with you, but unfortunately I can't because the club has prohibited me from doing so."

Dortmund looked set for a memorable championship win, having closed the gap with Bayern from nine points at Christmas to take a two-point lead into the final round. 

A veteran of now 12 Bundesliga titles, Mueller piled on the pressure on Friday, unleashing mind games via social media, saying he knew Dortmund's players would be nervous. 

"I think 200,000 to 400,000 fans will be expected at the championship celebration," Mueller wrote, saying "if Dortmund want to win, you have to stand up to (the pressure) as a player I believe that the players will also feel this pressure and that's where my hope lies."

Dortmund was 2-0 down after 25 minutes, with striker Sebastien Haller having missed a penalty. 

While Dortmund fought back to draw 2-2 -- both goals were assisted by American Gio Reyna -- the point was not enough as Bayern won the title -- its 33rd Bundesliga crown -- on goal difference.

Bayern and Dortmund finished the season on 71 points, the lowest points total for a champion in Germany in more than a decade. 

Indeed, the failure to capitalize said a lot more about Dortmund's nerves than it did about Bayern's quality, with many of the Bavarians' European rivals less likely to be so accommodating. 

While much of the post-match focus was aimed squarely at Dortmund's inability to take advantage of a golden opportunity, Tuchel indicated suggested the upcoming celebrations would be muted. 

"Instead of celebrating, we now have another issue" the manager said in response to the sackings. 

German soccer clubs give a greater degree of control to club officials than clubs in England and elsewhere, with the two seen as directly responsible for most aspects of management in recent seasons, including recruitment. 

Kahn and Salihamidzic were behind the decision to sack coach Julian Nagelsmann and hire Tuchel in March, despite the coach having lost just three of 37 games in all competitions this season.

The two also signed off on the exit of record-breaking forward Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona. 

Bayern still clearly misses the goals of Lewandowski, with none of the side's star-studded forward line stepping into the void. The Pole scored 344 goals in 375 games for Bayern, winning the league in each of his eight seasons in Bavaria. 

Lewandowski left Bayern frustrated at the public courting of then Dortmund forward Erling Haaland by Salihamidzic, later saying he felt disrespected after his service to the club. 

Haaland eventually went to Man City and Bayern brought in Sadio Mane from Liverpool. 

Mane, now 31, scored just seven league goals in 25 league games as he struggled with injury and form. 

Bayern's best forward is the 20-year-old Jamal Musiala, with others like Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman and Mane failing to deliver consistently. 

Money is also a major issue at Bayern, despite the club's domestic dominance in Germany. 

Although Bayern may not splash the transfer cash to the same degree as its English and Spanish counterparts, the team's wage bill is reportedly higher than Man City, with several older players on long-term deals. 

The average age of Bayern's squad is 26.5, one of the oldest in the Bundesliga and much higher than competitors Dortmund and Leipzig. 

Mueller and injured captain Manuel Neuer are well over 30.

While Bayern's domestic supremacy is assured, internal uncertainty and the rise of state-funded super clubs mean the German champions have a cloudy future. 

dwi/dmc

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