Champions ready for fireworks
23.08.2012, 15:26:16 Uhr
Dortmund have experienced a true football fairy tale. A young, cheeky team has thrilled football Germany for the past two seasons, collecting 81 points last season in their defence of the 2010-11 title. No team had ever collected more than 81 points in a single season. In four years under Jürgen Klopp, the Black-Yellows have advanced to a real powerhouse, pushing Bayern Munich from the top spot and handing them the runners-up moniker.
Dortmund won two titles in three seasons with Shinji Kagawa (right, here against Werder’s Clemens Fritz).Dortmund manager Hans-Joachim Watzke has said the Champions League qualification is the goal for the new season. But it will also be about maintaining traits such as carefreeness, motivation, passion and especially hunger for titles. Klopp is predestined for this task like no other. Even the double in 2012 was a sensation. Now the motto is everything from the start.
Dortmund watched Shinji Kagawa depart for Manchester United but brought in Marco Reus from Gladbach. They also added talents such as Julian Schieber (Stuttgart) and Leonard Bittencourt (Cottbus) and veteran Oliver Kirch (Lautern). They all appeared in the first tough test of the season preparations as Dortmund lost to Bremen in the final of the Liga total! Cup. Dortmund have won the last two Bundesliga match-ups - 1-0 in March 2012 and 2-0 in October 2011. Bremen's last victory over BVB came in May 2011 with a 2-0 win at Weser Stadium. Back then, Werder were fighting against relegation and Dortmund had already secured the title.
