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History of Borussia Moenchengladbach

Even in Germany, few football fans will ever have heard of the Anton Schmitz pub on Alsstrasse in Eicken, a district of Monchengladbach. On the other hand, the club founded there more than a century ago is a household name: Borussia Monchengladbach.

In November 1899, a group of young players broke away from Germania sports club and set up FC Borussia. Just a few weeks later, the men opted to join the youth section of the Congregation of Mary, as the institution had its own pitch. Eight months after that, what was destined to become one of the nation’s most successful clubs formally came into being.

Birth of an institution
Borussia Monchengladbach was officially founded on 1 August 1900 as Borussia 1900. Just 12 years later, the club had won promotion to the top tier, and claimed a first west German championship in 1920, defeating Koelner BC 3-1 after extra time in the final.

Borussia had merged with Germania 1889 athletic club in 1919, but the union only lasted two years and VfTuR 1889 M.Gladbach gave way to Borussia VfL 1900 e.V. Monchengladbach, the name it still bears today. Borussia’s first senior German international was 21-year-old defender Heinz Ditgens, who made his debut in a 9-0 victory over Luxembourg at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

After the chaos and trauma of the Second World War, Borussia resumed league operations in mid-June 1946. They were promoted to the second division (west) in 1949, and the Oberliga West, the regional top flight at the time, a year later. Following a string of relegations and promotions, Borussia cemented their place in the Oberliga and claimed a first title in 1958/59.

Another trophy followed in August 1960 when Borussia beat Cologne 3-1 to win the West German Cup. They would follow that a few weeks later with a maiden DFB German Cup triumph after a 3-2 victory over Karlsruhe. In the same year, Borussia became the first German contenders in the new European Cup Winners’ Cup, where they were knocked out by Glasgow giants Rangers in the last eight.

Monchengladbach earned promotion to the Bundesliga in 1965, a year after Hennes Weisweiler became head coach. The club’s widely-used nickname, the Foals, stems from the legendary Weisweiler’s tenure, as he was renowned from grooming and bringing on young players.

The making of a legend
Borussia advanced to figurehead status in German football in a golden era during the 1970s. On 31 October 1969, Monchengladbach moved to the top of the Bundesliga for the first time in their history, and remain second in the all-time roll of honour for leading the league at the end of a complete matchday, behind only serial champions Bayern Munich. The Foals claimed their first national title on 30 April 1970, with the plaudits raining in for coach Weisweiler and his team’s potent blend of youth and experience.

The history books record a curious incident on Matchday 27 the following season. With two minutes left in Borussia’s home meeting with Werder Bremen, Gladbach’s Herbert Laumen ended up in the net in a vain attempt to reach a Gunter Netzer free-kick. The striker hit the rigging with sufficient force to break the left-hand post and, as there was no replacement goal and the damage could not be repaired, the referee abandoned the match. The incident spelled the end of wooden goalposts in the professional game, and the offending post is now on display in the Borussia museum.

The immediate consequences were less rosy for Gladbach, as a German FA tribunal awarded the points to Werder. Despite this, Borussia finished the 1970/71 season with a wafer-thin advantage over Bayern, and became the first club to retain the Bundesliga title.

The men from the Lower Rhine remained a dominant force for many years, both on the domestic scene and in Europe. The 1972/73 campaign brought a second DFB Cup triumph and a place in the UEFA Cup final, although that ended in defeat to Liverpool. 1974/75 remains the most successful year in the club’s history, as Borussia brought home both a third league title and the UEFA Cup.

Weisweiler now departed to coach Barcelona, but new boss Udo Lattek led Borussia to a Bundesliga hat-trick with titles in 1976 and 1977. However, the season which produced a fifth national title ended with a painful defeat, again to Liverpool, but this time in the final of the European Champions’ Cup.

As it transpired, the high-water mark had been reached, although the next couple of years were not without entries in the club annals. On 29 April 1978, Gladbach thrashed Borussia Dortmund 12-0 to record the highest-ever margin of victory in the Bundesliga. A year later, they beat Red Star Belgrade to claim the UEFA Cup again, and although they also made the final in 1980, the trophy was lost to Bundesliga rivals Eintracht Frankfurt.

Over the next ten years, Borussia remained among the elite in German football, but trophies proved elusive. Gladbach lost the 1984 DFB Cup final on penalties to arch-rivals Bayern, and made the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 1987 only to go out on the back of a home defeat to Dundee United.

The 1990s proved a troubled decade for the proud club as they slid towards a muted centenary year. By now meandering in mid-table in the Bundesliga, the Foals reached the DFB Cup final in 1992 but lost to Hannover. A 16-year wait for silverware ended in 1995 with a third triumph in the domestic cup, but there have been no additions to the trophy cabinet since then.

The club sank to a nadir four years later with a first-ever relegation from the top flight. Borussia were back in the elite two seasons later, but as a humble shadow of their former selves. Tenth in 2005/06 was the best they could manage, and they slipped to the second division again a year later.

The present
Borussia regained their top-flight status at the first attempt and were back for the 2008/09 campaign, but the glory days of the 1970s are a fast-fading memory, with finishes in 15th and 12th places in the last two seasons.

Things have taken a dramatic turn for the worse this term, as boss Michael Frontzeck and his men are engaged in a desperate fight against relegation and look destined to be battling to retain their top flight status until the very last day.

The main ray of light in an otherwise gloomy landscape at the club is the emergence of a crop of supremely promising young players, graduates of an exceptional youth generation a couple of years ago. The likes of Marco Reus (21), Tony Jantschke (20) and Patrick Herrmann (19) have hinted at immense potential future value to the Foals, and hold out hope of a return to more-settled times. The club’s top priority must be to retain its home-grown starlets as a first step in the right direction.

The stadium
The Foals moved to the newly-constructed Borussia Park in July 2004. The state-of-the-art arena, built on a site relinquished by the British military, replaced the legendary but ageing Bokelberg and boasts a capacity of 54,057. The Borussia Park site also houses the club’s administrative headquarters, a fan shop, a restaurant, the training facility and extensive car parking. The stadium, built at a cost of €86.9 million, has staged three Germany men’s internationals to date, and is one of the nine venues for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 in Germany.

Major honours*:
5 German championships: 1970, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1977
3 German Cups: 1960, 1973, 1995
2 UEFA Cups: 1975, 1979

Legendary players:
Herbert Laumen (1962-71), Günter Netzer (1963-73), Jupp Heynckes (1963-67 and 1970-78), Berti Vogts (1965-79), Herbert Wimmer (1966-78), Wolfgang Kleff (1968-79 and 1980-82), Winfried Schäfer (1968-70 and 1977-85), Horst Köppel (1968-71 and 1973-79), Rainer Bonhof (1970-78), Allan Simonsen (1972-79), Ewald Lienen (1977-81 and 1983-87), Lothar Matthäus (1979-84), Uwe Rahn (1980-88), Frank Mill (1981-86), Uwe Kamps (1982-2004), Stefan Effenberg (1987-90 and 1994-98), Martin Dahlin (1991-96), Patrik Andersson (1993-99), Marcell Jansen (1993-2004), Ioan Lupescu (1996-98), Oliver Neuville (2004-10), Kasey Keller (2005-07)
* The honours listed above are considered to be the club’s major titles and, as such, are not intended to be a full list of achievements.

Klopp Berehat Sementara dari Bola Sepak

Borussia Dortmund's departing coach Jürgen Klopp has confirmed that he will now take a break from football for an unspecified period of time. There had been countless rumors linking him to European clubs.

Jürgen Klopp announced on Monday that he will be taking a break from football "until further notice." Klopp, whose last game on the bench was Dortmund's 3-1 loss in Saturday's German Cup final,confirmed his decision in a statement to Germany-based news agencies.

"After seven intensive and emotional years of real love for Borussia Dortmund, I think it makes sense to process the countless memories before I take on a new task, fresh and highly motivated, with my team," he said in the statement.

The 47-year-old had been linked to a number of top European clubs, since announcing on April 15 that he would be leaving Dortmund. Former Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel is to succeed Klopp at the Bundesliga club.

Golden era comes to an end

Since joining BVB in 2007, Klopp had won two league titles, plus the German Cup - and reached a Champions League final in 2013 with the western German side.

He is credited with taking BVB from mid-table obscurity, to becoming one of Germany's biggest and most important teams behind Bayern Munich. He encouraged an attacking style of play at the club, including high-pressing that often caught his opponents off guard.

But it was his down-to-earth nature with the media and the public that endeared him most to his many fans at Borussia Dortmund and across German football. At a farewell dinner after the German Cup defeat Klopp was typically emotional in his goodbye speech.

"This is here and now my hardest moment," he said, in front of 2000 guests. "The pain of saying goodbye is building slowly and it really hurts."

Jurgen Klopp Confirms Sabbatical

​Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he will take a break "until further notice" upon leaving Borussia Dortmund this summer.

The 47-year-old, who bowed out with a 3-1 defeat to Wolfsburg in the DFB-Pokal final, had been linked with a host of European clubs including Liverpool.

Several media outlets had touted Klopp as a possible replacement for the under-fire Brendan Rodgers at Anfield, while Turkish giants Fenerbahce were reported to have held talks with the former Mainz 05 boss a week ago.

However, Klopp appears to have put an end to the speculation, for another year at least, telling reporters: "I will take a break until further notice.

"After seven intense and emotional years of 'Real Love' (Dortmund's slogan), I consider it sensible to process all these memories until I'm fresh and full of motivation to take on a new task, together with my team."

According to Bild, Klopp was enthusiastic about the Liverpool link, feeling they were a team he could sink his teeth into over the coming transfer window.

The club's fanatical fanbase, combined with Klopp's grasp of the language and love of English football, were also thought to have appealed to the departing coach.

A number of high-profile bosses' contracts are due to expire in 12 months' time, including Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City and Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich.

Wolfsburg beat Borussia Dortmund for first German Cup title

Wolfsburg has won Germany's premier knockout title, defeating Borussia Dortmund in front of a huge crowd in Berlin on Saturday. Despite the pre-game hype, BVB were not able to give their departing coach a final victory.

Borussia Dortmund 1-3 Wolfsburg

5' Aubameyang - 22' Luis Gustavo, 33' de Bruyne, 38' Dost 

On what was meant to be a perfect farewell night for their departing coach Jürgen Klopp, Borussia Dortmund put in a disappointing performance at a sold out Berlin Olympic stadium on Saturday night.

But it all started so promisingly for the team from western Germany's Ruhr region. After just five minutes Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang slotted home the first goal of the game for BVB, after a looped cross from Shinji Kagawa.

With powerful support from their fans, Dortmund proceeded to dominate the early stages and seemed to be back to their dominant style of old. But the game changed in the 21st minute, when Wolfsburg were awarded a free kick 25 meters from goal.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the first goal of the game

Naldo's strong free kick was only bunted away by BVB's keeper, before Luis Gustavo smashed the ball home.

Just over 10 minutes later, Wolfsburg's second goal caught Borussia Dortmund even more unawares. A string of passes from Wolfsburg, saw Daniel Caligiuri set up Kevin de Bruyne who smashed home from 18 meters out. The shot, which landed right in the corner of Langerak's net even went through Hummels legs.

And Dortmund's defense was caught napping again before the half-time break, after Bas Dost headed in a perfect cross from Ivan Perisic.

Missed chances

After what can only have been a rousing half-time talk, Klopp's team started strongly in the second half. Kagawa had an excellent close-range chance to peg one back for his team, but his shot just shaved the outside of the post.

After seven years at BVB, Jürgen Klopp has now finally finished at Dortmund

And before long, it was the Dortmund of old. Missed chances, predictable play and - most importantly - poor defending, which let Wolfsburg back into the game again and again.

Dortmund were lucky to be not trailing 4-1 in the 65th minute, when a shot from Caligiuri was missed by Langerak but Erik Durm's heel blocked the goal-bound shot.

A late save from Wolfsburg's keeper Diego Benaglio from an Aubameyang free-kick ensured that the Bundesliga runners-up, Wolfsburg, comfortably cruised to victory. It was the first German Cup title win ever in Wolfsburg's club history.

Hamburg and Karlsruhe tied after play-off first leg

With everything at stake in the relegation play-off, Bundesliga dinosaurs Hamburg and second-tier Karlsruhe will battle it out in the second leg after a 1-1 draw in Hamburg.

Hamburg 1-1 Karlsruhe

(Ilicevic 72' - Hennings 4')

A second-half equalizer from Ivo Ilicevic gives Hamburg a fighting chance of securing their Bundesliga status in the relegation play-off.

The Croatian forward scored on 72 minutes to level the scores after the first-leg despite trailing for more than an hour following an early drive from Karlsruhe's top goalscorer Rouwen Hennings.

For the second season in succession, Hamburg will head into the second 90 minutes of action with the scores all square after a win over Greuther Fürth last year on away goals. Yet having conceded, Hamburg will need to score at the very least to secure survival when the teams meet again on Monday evening.

Before either team had settled into a rhythm, the second-division side struck a sucker-punch in the fourth minute. Hennings took the ball into feet in what seemed to be a safe area of the pitch for the hosts, but the center-forward struck the ball, 20 yards out, from an angle, squeezing his exquisite finish inside Rene Adler's left-hand post.

It was a finish deserving of a place in Germany's top-division and there was some added importance for the 27-year-old - he was on the books of two Hamburg clubs, HSV and St Pauli.

If you had written a script, it maybe couldn't have gone better to plan for Karlsruhe. The early goal was the perfect foundation for the visitors to flood the center of the park and hold a very compact 4-4-2 formation against a listless Hamburg.

Cursing missed chances

Hennings scored against his former club on four minutes

When Karlsruhe was able to counterattack, there was space to exploit. On 26 minutes, Enrico Valentini clipped a 20-yard free-kick just a few yards too high, and three minutes later, Jamaican center-back Daniel Gordon headed over unmarked at a corner-kick.

Hamburg's home crowd was becoming increasingly restless and the Northern Germans were relieved to go into the interval with only a one-goal deficit to fight back. But Bruno Labbadia's men weathered the storm after the break with the crossbar rattled twice in 30 seconds.

First, on 52 minutes, Jonas Meffert's finish on the penalty spot hit the woodwork, and in the resulting passage of play, Dimitry Lazarov's looping effort clipped the top of the bar.

The Northern Germans would respond with 18 minutes to play, a seemingly innocuous ball falling to Ilicevic whose snap-shot sneaked into the net. The two sides were happy to close up the back-door to avoid losing any late goals, but Hamburg wasn't able to make the most of their superior possession.

Despite salvaging something, the onus in the second-leg will lie with Hamburg who would still go down if the match ended goalless.

Kroos, Neuer and Müller all missing from Löw's new squad

Germany's national team coach Joachim Löw has named a 20-man squad for games against the USA and Gibraltar. A host of World Cup winners are out of the team, due to fitness concerns.

Germany national team coach Joachim Löw has opted to rest World Cup winners Thomas Müller, Toni Kroos and Manuel Neuer for his team's next two games in June.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Neuer is suffering from a series of niggles from the Bundesliga season while team-mate Müller and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos are tired after the long campaign. Injury-prone duo Marco Reus and Julian Draxler have also been left out but could be called up in emergencies.

"I’ve been able to count on them a lot recently. They deserve a break," Löw said in a statement on the German Football Association (DFB) website. "I have one eye on the next set of qualifiers and on next year’s European Championship, should we reach it."

Löw's side is due to take on the United States in a friendly on June 10 in Cologne and play a EURO 2016 qualifier against Gibraltar in Portugal three days later.

Borussia Mönchengladbach attacker Patrick Herrmann, who has helped his Bundesliga side to Champions League qualification this season, is in line for his national team debut against the US in Cologne.

Löw has called up a total of 20 players, 13 of whom won the World Cup in Brazil last year.

Darmstadt are the Bundesliga's new likeable underdogs

Darmstadt tend not to do anything the simple way, so perhaps it was fitting that they sealed promotion to the Bundesliga with a late goal in a nail-biting 1-0 win over St. Pauli on the final day of the season.

The Lillies, as they're known, have seen a lot of ups and downs in their 117-year history. Three facts that you you should know are that they're one of the oldest licensed clubs in Germany, they beat French champions Club Athlétique de Vitry 5-0 in 1910 and they were re-constituted six months after the end of World War II, only to see their stadium requisitioned by occupying US troops

Their first go at the Bundesliga came in 1978 with a more than reputable 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich thanks to a special goal late on in the match. But the Lillies went down at the end of that campaign, and although they returned to the top flight two years later, they again immediately went down in 1982.

By that point, the club was deeply in debt. And throughout the next 33 years, Darmstadt looked more likely to fold entirely than to ever return to Germany's footballing elite.

Darmstadt, which is near Frankfurt, is celebrating a return to the Bundesliga after 33 years 

Two years, three divisions

Darmstadt sank down to the fourth division and although they subsequently clawed their way back up to the third, they should have been subject to another drop after failing to win a do-or-die final matchday clash in the 2012-13 season. But financial irregularities meant that local rivals Kickers Offenbach couldn't secure a third-division license and were relegated instead.

Darmstadt rebounded in 2013-14 and finished third in division three, qualifying them for a playoff against Arminia Bielefeld. The tie played over two legs didn't start well, with Darmstadt going down 3-1 in their own stadium. Normally that would have meant lights out due to the away-goals rule.

But the return fixture in Bielefeld ended 3-1 for Lillies after 90 minutes, necessitating extra time. Bielefeld got a goal, but Darmstadt also scored in the second minute of injury time to achieve promotion to division two. Compared to that heart-stopper, this season's rise to the top flight seems positively languid.

In a sense, the Lillies are the only team to have been promoted from division four to division one in only two seasons.

Bellarabi: 'We can be satisfied with fourth'

You set the record for the fastest Bundesliga goal ever scored - nine seconds into the first round of the season. Tell us about your personal highlights this season.

Karim Bellarabi: I think it all started with that goal, I was looking forward to this season a lot. I'd worked out a lot and had a good training camp. I was really glad it worked out with a goal - and after only nine seconds.

What else will you remember about the past 34 matchdays?

I think the most important thing is that we played a good season as a team. We can be satisfied with fourth place. We can now qualify for the Champions League. For me, personally, it was also a great year. I was called up to the German national team - that was really special. I think it was a very successful season for me.

You scored 12 goals and contributed 9 assists. Was there a specific moment when you thought: This is going to be my year?

Of course. Right from the start things fell into place. I got on well with the coach, and we communicated a lot. I felt good from the get-go and was able to push myself. I worked hard, and the coach put his faith in me. Everything came together.

Who were your favorite stars as a kid and how did they influence you?

As a little boy, you have a lot of respect for professional football players. One of my great dreams was just to meet a football player. I think most boys dream of being a pro football player. That was my goal as well. I had a lot of idols. I always liked watching Ronaldinho or Zinedine Zidane play.

Your breakthrough came relatively late. Any idea why?

I spent a year out injured. That was a difficult phase of course. And then I was loaned out to Braunschweig. I only returned this season and that's when it happened. I have no problem with it taking a while, I'm just happy things worked out.

How much of the street football you learnt in your childhood still around in German football these days?

I think I learned a bunch of things that have stuck with me, but I can't say precisely what. I can say that we went out to play everyday and learned all our skills. Maybe I owe my speed to those days, but I can't say for sure. I only know that the older kids picked me early on when we were dividing up teams. That of course gave me self-confidence.

Which Bundesliga team took you by surprise in 2014-15?

None of them were a total surprise. Bayern Munich were way out ahead, but they do what they do very well. Wolfsburg were maybe a slight surprise, but before the season even started you could see they had lots of quality. I think they played really well as well. Gladbach came in third because they played a good season and have a good team. So I don't think any of them came as a complete surprise.

Roberto Di Matteo Steps Down As FC Schalke Manager

FC Schalke 04 have announced this morning that they’ve parted company with manager Roberto Di Matteo after the 44-year-old decided to step down from the job. Di Matteo is quoted as saying that a new start would be "the best thing for all involved" and that he has therefore "come to the decision to step down as head coach." 

The Royal Blues lost 2-0 to 16th-placed Hamburger SV on Saturday and once again put in a poor performance. After missing out on a Champions League spot, their aim at the start of the season, Schalke dropped to sixth place and will now be involved in the Europa League third qualifying round. Di Matteo, who led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2012, took over from Jens Keller in October.

Bundesliga Champion Celebration

Congratulation to FC Bayern Munchen

Schalke part ways with Di Matteo

The news that Roberto di Matteo was out at Schalke was broken late Sunday afternoon by the SportBild newspaper and indepedently confirmed by the respected Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as well as the football magazine kicker.

The club weren't confirming or denying that news on Sunday, nor of course, was their any word about a potential successor.

The Italian coach, who won the Champions League with English side Chelsea in 2012, took over from Jens Keller at Schalke on October 7, 2014. But the Royal Blues' drive for the Champions League places stalled under his tutelage, and he was unpopular with many fans for what they saw as his unattractive, defense-oriented style of play.

Supporters went so far as to turn their back on the team at their final home match of the season one week ago. And calls for Di Matteo to go intensified after a completely anemic performance on the last day of the season against strugglers Hamburg.

"You have to ask questions about everyone in a position of sporting responsibility, be they players, coaches or management," commercial manager Horst Heldt told TV reporters after Schalke's 2-0 loss to Hamburg on Saturday.

The Royal Blues finished the season a disappointing sixth.

Stuttgart have confirmed that coach Huub Stevens will step down after saving the team from relegation from the second year in a row. The Southern Germans owe a heck of a lot to the gruff Dutchman. 

"We deserve to celebrate" - Boateng

World Champion Jérôme Boateng sat down with DFB.de to discuss Bayern's title celebrations, Jürgen Klopp's farewell, the substitution of Robert Lewandowski and the upcoming tasks with the DFB Team. 

DFB.de: Mr. Boateng, congratulations on winning the championship and to your personal success, of repeating the feat of giving Pep Guardiola a beer shower, like you did last summer. 

Jérôme Boateng: It wasn’t as easy this year. He found a much better hiding place today. 

DFB.de: Will you be looking for the hat trick next year?

Boateng: First of all, I hope that we will win the Bundesliga title again next season. But we should now be talking about the Bundesliga campaign that just ended and we should celebrate. We deserve to celebrate after this season.

DFB.de: Is the team able to fully enjoy the celebrations, or are the two missed finals in Berlin still at the back of your minds?

Boateng: No, we are going to celebrate now. Berlin is not a topic at this moment. We can't change any of that anyway. The championship is what it's all about today. We worked hard for this moment for a very long year. 

DFB.de: Dortmund's coach Jürgen Klopp said that he could imagine becoming FC Bayern's coach one day. What do you say to that?

Boateng: I think it is undisputed, that Jürgen Klopp is a very, very good coach. We will have to wait and see if it works out that he can come here some day in the future. But it would certainly be interesting to see. 

DFB.de: What do you think when Robert Lewandowski was subbed off, although he was still in a position to win the Bundesliga's Golden Boot?

Boateng: I think it was more important for Claudio Pizarro to make an appearance.

DFB.de: But he could've subbed off ten other players for that. 

Boateng: Yes, but at the end of the day it's the coach's decision and that's what he decided to do. Overall I don't think it's that important. 

DFB.de: Will you be on holiday starting Monday, or are you going to play for Germany in June?

Boateng: That will be decided on Monday. 

DFB.de: What are you hoping for?

Boateng: We will see. I will talk to our coach about it. Both options are fine with me.

Roberto Di Matteo: The manner of the goals annoys me

Both teams wanted victory but at only one team could come out on top. We noted down the reaction of Roberto Di Matteo and Bruno Labbadia after Hamburger SV beat FC Schalke 04 2-0 on the last day of the 2014/15 Bundesliga season.

Roberto Di Matteo:

We had chances before the break and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar had a huge opportunity just after the interval. The manner of the goals we conceded annoys me. We have to be more alert. We could have got one back through Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting but it didn’t go in. The second half of the game pretty much sums up 2015 for us. We need to make the most of our chances. Ahead of the game our aim was to finish in fifth place, we’ve now dropped to sixth. We’re certainly not happy.

Bruno Labbadia:

We wanted to win – that was our main goal. The way we went about it, considering the pressure we were under, was impressive. Schalke didn’t make things easy for us. I’m delighted that we didn’t go down automatically. We now need to wait and see who our opponents will be. Anything could happen still in the second division.

Dortmund fans give Jurgen Klopp an Amazing send off with impressive display

And none more so that Borussia Dortmund fans, who have had to come to terms with the fact the popular German manager will leave BVB this wimmer.

But they made sure he would not forget his last game in charge against Werder Bremen with a superb tifo from the Westfalenstadion home end.

They unfurled a massive image of Klopp with 'Danke Jurgen' alongside it as the coach ended his seven years stint at the club.

The whole day was about thanks as the Dortmund Twitter account went into full love-in mode after each goal.

They 'thanked' Shinji Kagawa, Patrick-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrick Mkhitaryan after each of their goals.

Stuttgart should be safe from the drop

The maths: it's in their own hands

Ahead of Matchday 34 and the last game of the season, the relegation battle remains wide open. Six teams are still fighting to secure their Bundesliga safety - more than in any other season at this stage.

The tradition-laden club from the south-west will play their last 90 minutes of the season against direct challengers SC Paderborn. It's the ultimate relegation six-pointer: 16th in the Bundesliga goes head-to-head with the bottom-placed club.

While there are just two points between the two sides, Stuttgart has the advantage of having their fate in their own hands. A win will undoubtedly ensure their Bundesliga status continues. Also, the Swabians are fuelled by a new-found confidence after two home wins on the spin, especially from the 2-1 win over Hamburg last weekend.

"What happened in Matchday 33 doesn't count any more," said sporting director Robin Dutt. "In Paderborn, the atmosphere is already electric."

The strong attack of Daniel Ginczek and Daniel Didavi offers hope, even if they should be converting more of their chances. Yet away from home, Stuttgart has significant problems - in 2015 there have been four losses and two draws.

The mood: Relying on mental strength

After months of shaking in the relegation battle, Stuttgart is well-positioned for the match in Paderborn. "We are emotionally well-prepared," Dutt added. Like in previous weeks, Dutt and coach Huub Stevens have brought a sense of calm to the place. Nothing has changed at training in the last few days.

"It's important sometimes to just say 'we feel good about what we are doing,'" said Dutt. "We can't just hope that the competition will help us. We have to rely on ourselves and go for the win."

In the final weeks of the season, everybody has joined forces at Stuttgart, which shouldn't be taken for granted. Fans, dressed in all-white, helped their side in the recent clash with Hamburg. Hundreds marched from a local train station to the stadium as a show of unity. Even former players like Timo Hildebrand stood with the fans as his ex-club look to avoid the drop.

"It looked like for a long time that Stuttgart had no chance of going into the second division," the keeper said on Germany's "Sky" channel "but they have recovered phenomenally and have a starting point going into the last game."

The prognosis: Huub's experience could save VfB

Despite their poor away record, the table situation could be advantageous for Stuttgart - Paderborn must win to survive and hope other results still go their way. What stands up for Paderborn is that there is nothing to lose. The support from the home fans will be unconditional in order to complete the miracle. According to the team based in East Westphalia, they will fight until they drop.

Of course, in Huub Stevens, Stuttgart has exactly the sort of coach who is experienced and proven in relegation battles. The Dutchman has never been relegated as a coach in the Bundesliga and that should be the case after this showdown too. Expect his team to take advantage of the fact that Paderborn has to attack and to snatch a few goals on the counter-attack.

Now that calmness has been restored to Stuttgart, Stevens' under-performing side should survive.

It seems like every season Freiburg is fighting to stay up in the Bundesliga. This time around it's the same story, as Christian Streich's team hang in 14th place. But, the team has a prominent supporter. 

Pasukan U17 Jerman Mara ke Final !

Captain Felix Passlack

Jerman Mara ke perlawanan akhir!

Persembahan yang baik dari Jerman U17 dalam Kejohanan Eropah berterusan kerana mereka berjaya mara ke perlawanan akhir di Bulgaria. Pasukan Christian Wück meraikan kejayaan 1-0 kemenangan ke atas Rusia pada separuh akhir dan kini bakal bertemu Perancis pada perlawanan akhir. Pemain Borussia Dortmund, Janni Serra menjaringkan gol, setelah terlepas beberapa peluang.

Tidak seperti kemenangan sebelum ini diperingkat suku akhir menentang Sepanyol (4-2 AET), Wück telah membuat beberapa perubahan dan percaturan kepada kesebelasan utamanya. Dzenis Burnic, Görkem Saglam, Salih Ozcan, Janni Serra dan Enes Aykol menggantikan pemain yang cedera seperti Joel Abu Hanna, Erdic Karakas, Mats Köhlert (yang digantung perlawanan), Niklas Schmidt dan Johannes Eggestein. Kapten Felix Passlack dan Constantin Frommann pula dikekalkan di tempat mereka sebagai dua ahli pasukan yang paling penting.

Jerman ternyata pasukan yang lebih baik dan jelas lebih bertekad untuk menang di Stadion Beroe di Stara Zagora. Selepas permulaan yang agak kucar-kacir, pasukan Jerman, yang diketuai Passlack, mengubah rentak permainan yang dilihat semakin berkesan dalam permainan mereka dan mampu mewujudkan banyak peluang, walaupun pertahanan Rusia agak padat dalam kotak penalti.

Jerman terkena palang dua kali pada separuh pertama

Ozcan mempunyai peluang yang baik pada babak pertama permainan. Pemain dari Cologne itu merembat dari jarak 20 ela dan malangnya hanya mencecah palang gol. Penjaga gol Rusia Alexandr Maksimenko sebenarnya telah terperangkap berada di luar kawasan dan sudah tidak akan mempunyai peluang untuk menyelamatkan. Dmitri Pletnev mempunyai satu peluang terbaik untuk Rusia, tetapi diselamatkan Frommann dari jarak dekat dengan refleks yang pantas.

Sejurus selepas itu, Serra dan Ozcan sekali lagi mendapat beberapa peluang tetapi kedua-dua pertahanan kental Rusia berjaya menyekat kedua-dua pemain Jerman dengan berkesan. Matlamatnya untuk mendapatkan gol sebelum masa rehat tidak kesampaian: Gül menanduk sepakan percuma Saglam, tetapi bola terkena bahagian dalam palang. Masih 0-0.

Jerman kekal bersabar dan mendapat ganjaran

Selepas waktu rehat, serangan Jerman meningkat bertali arus, menguasai permainan dan mewujudkan lebih banyak peluang. Tidak lama selepas rehat, Passlack membuat sepakan lencong ke arah bucu pintu gol dan Serra hampir menyempurnakan hantaran tersebut. Passlack hampir berjaya untuk meletakkan Jerman dihadapan pada minit 60, tetapi sekali lagi penjaga gol Rusia berjaya menghalangnya.

Schmidt masuk menggantikan Karakas, Jerman menguatkan lagi cengkaman mereka pada permainan dan terus dominasi permainan. Ia memberi kesan positif kepada keputusan. Akyol membuat hantaran silang yang sempurna dari arah kiri untuk Serra dalam kotak penalti dan memberikan Jerman mata untuk mendahului. Mereka mempunyai dua kali lagi peluang untuk mengukuhkan penguasaan namun permainan berakhir dengan 1-0, dan Jerman mara ke perlawanan akhir bertemu Perancis.

All you need to know about Bundesliga relegation this weekend

Six teams are still at risk of the drop in Germany's top flight. Ahead of the last matchday of the season, DW has worked through all the possible results this Saturday. Find out how your team can avoid the drop.

Finally, the Bundesliga's much-publicized relegation battle has reached its climax. This coming Saturday five teams could still go down. Even Hertha Berlin could also be forced into the relegation playoff match against a contender from the second division.

The most important games on the final matchday of the season will be Hannover vs. Freiburg and Paderborn against Stuttgart, while Hamburg vs. Schalke is also crucial for the northern Germany club.

These are the scenarios confronting the bottom six teams as they go into the final Bundesliga weekend of this season.

Hertha Berlin ...

... will stay in the first division next season if they win, draw or lose by only one goal in their match against Hoffenheim on Saturday.

... will have to play in the relegation playoff if they lose by two goals or more, if at the same time Hannover manages a draw against Freiburg and Stuttgart beats Paderborn.

... has basically no chance of going down directly, because they have a goal difference which is 12 goals better than Hamburg. 

Current position: 13th / 35 points / Goal difference: -15

SC Freiburg ...

... will stay in the first division if they win or draw against Hannover. They'll also stay up if they lose, as long as Stuttgart and Hamburg also do the same.

... will slide into the relegation playoff if they lose, if either Stuttgart or Hamburg manage a win.

... will go down directly if they lose and Stuttgart and Hamburg both win.

Current position: 14th / 34 points / Goal difference: -10

In the first half of the season Freiburg and Hannover drew 2-2 in Freiburg

Hannover 96...

... will stay in the first division next season if they beat Freiburg. A draw would only be sufficient if Stuttgart loses to Paderborn. Should Stuttgart win, Hertha Berlin would have to lose by two goals or more for Hannover to stay in the Bundesliga.

... will have to play in the relegation playoff if they draw with Freiburg and - at the same time - Stuttgart beats Paderborn and Hertha loses by less than two goals against Hoffenheim. If they lose by one goal, Hannover will head to the playoff too, if Stuttgart or Hamburg win. If they lose by two or more goals, the 96ers could also head to the playoff, as long as Stuttgart draws and Hamburg doesn't win.

... will go straight down if they lose and, at the same time, Stuttgart beats Paderborn and HSV beats Schalke.

Current position: 15th / 34 points / Goal difference: -17

VfB Stuttgart...

... will stay in the top flight if they beat Paderborn or draw with them. That's as long as Hannover loses to Freiburg by two goals or more and Hamburg loses to Schalke.

... has to play in the relegation playoff if they draw with Paderborn, Hamburg doesn't beat Schalke and Hannover loses by less than two goals against Freiburg. Stuttgart will also head to the relegation match after a draw, if HSV beats Schalke and Hannover loses by at least two goals against Freiburg.

... will go straight down if they lose against Paderborn. They'll also be playing in the second division next season if they draw, and Hamburg beat Schalke and Hannover loses by less than two goals.

Current position: 16th / 33 points / Goal difference: -19

Paderborn vs. Stuttgart is going to be hard-fought: one of the teams will definitely be going down

Hamburg ...

... could stay up if they beat Schalke this Saturday. At the same time, Stuttgart has to not win in Paderborn, and Hannover vs. Freiburg can't end in a draw.

... will play in the relegation if they win against the Royal Blues and at the same time, Stuttgart doesn't beat Paderborn and the game between Hannover and Freiburg ends in a draw. The other option: Stuttgart beats Paderborn and Hannover and Freiburg doesn't end in a draw. That would also mean relegation playoff time for Hamburg.

... will definitely be going down directly if they draw or lose against Schalke. They could even go down if they win in Gelsenkirchen. For that to happen, Stuttgart would have to beat Paderborn and Hannover and Freiburg would have to end in a draw though.

Current position: 17th / 32 points / Goal difference: -27

SC Paderborn...

... can only stay up in the first division via the relegation playoff against the third-best team from the second division.

... will get to the aforementioned relegation game if they win against Stuttgart, and at the same time Hamburg can't win against Schalke.

... will go straight down if they only manage a draw or loss against Stuttgart. Paderborn will also go straight down if they win against Stuttgart and Hamburg beats Schalke.

Current position: 18th / 31 points / Goal difference: -33

Simon Rolfes: The end of the quiet captain

"Memories are born in departure" read the sign held by Leverkusen's fans after the club's 2-0 win against Hoffenheim in their final home game of the season. Perhaps it was in that moment Simon Rolfes realised that it was all over. If it hadn't been clear when the club captain trotted off with just over 13 minutes to go, it certainly was when he and Stefan Reinartz (who is also due to leave the club) took to the stands to lead the post-game "Humba" song.

The quiet captain looked out of place with the megaphone, amongst the fans who appreciated him the most. He's used to being on the pitch and paying back the supporters with leadership, steadfastness and the occasional screamer.

There was no such sight on Saturday, but Rolfes did put in one of his infamously understated performances. The hosts profited from superior efficiency in front of goal against a Hoffenheim team capable of more than they delivered. Rolfes kept Leverkusen's midfield ticking over, picked up a yellow card and looked easily fit enough to play another year. The midfielder was integral, but not noticeable.

Just getting the job done: Rolfes loves to work hard in midfield

In fact, Rolfes spent most of his career unnoticed. He did well at Werder Bremen but left for second division side Aachen where he enjoyed an unlikely UEFA Cup run. A move to Leverkusen came in 2005/06 and once he became a core part of the defensive midfield, he never looked back.

An untimely injury hindered Rolfes from making Germany's 2010 World Cup squad. And with that, and the momentum the Germany squad was beginning to develop, the midfielder was left out of Joachim Löw's thinking. The game was changing and at 29, Rolfes was at the wrong end of his career to catch up.

Now 33, Rolfes will almost certainly head into playing a leadership role at a Bundesliga club one day. He's got some business acumen about him and his first port of call looks set to be working as an agent.

I can imagine him returning to Leverkusen one day though. Perhaps unnoticed by himself, but by those in the stadium (of which I was one on the weekend), Leverkusen have some work to do with their marketing and branding. The quality of their football is not in doubt - Roger Schmidt has created a versatile side who are keen to finally move from consistent top-four candidates to winners - but regular European football is different and the club don't quite look ready for the big stage.

Perhaps it's time for the quiet captain to become the quiet director.

Barcelona Plot €20m Gundogan Move After Secret Talks

​Barcelona are now favorites to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan after the German flew out to meet with the club hierarchy to discuss a move last week, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The 24-year-old looks certain to follow Jurgen Klopp through the exit door of the Signal Iduna Park and could be playing in Spain in a year's time.

Manchester United were believed to have wrapped up a deal for Gundogan, but the reports claiming so were found to be premature even though Dortmund announced shortly thereafter that the midfielder would not be signing a new contract.

Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City have also been linked with Gundogan although reports claim that Bayern have cooled their interest due to fears about his injury record.

The Germany international missed over a year of football after suffering a spinal injury in 2013 but has since made a full recovery.

Should Barcelona convince the €20million rated man to join, it would likely be another half a year at the very least until he'd be able to officially sign as their transfer embargo limits any activity until 2016.

Gundogan joined Borussia Dortmund in 2011 in a €6.5million move from FC Nuremburg and has since made 115 appearances for the club.

Season over for Benedikt Höwedes

FC Schalke 04 will be without Benedikt Höwedes for the season finale against Hamburger SV. The Royal Blues’ captain had to be withdrawn from Saturday’s meeting with SC Paderborn due to injury following a hefty challenge from Daniel Brückner in the 55th minute. He was taken to hospital and diagnosed with ligament damage in his left ankle. Höwedes will undergo further examinations over the coming week.

Guardiola Tells Premier League That Gotze Is Not for Sale

Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola has told the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea that midfield star Mario Gotze will not be leaving Bavaria this summer.

According to the ​international media, Guardiola is very happy with the player's attitude despite the fact he's not been regularly involved in matches recently. The Premier League trio were hoping to take advantage of the situation, but the Spaniard wants to keep him.

He said: ​"He helped us a lot. He's a young player with a lot of talent.

"It is my decision that he hasn't played much in recent games. I am very happy with his attitude. There is no discussion as to whether he stays or not."

HardinPep's compliments, Kruse's green pursuit and silly Schalke

Guardiola's flattering support

"I wish I had a thousand Dantes." After Brazilian center back Dante endured some of his worst form since joining the club, Bayern Munich head coach Pep Guardiola sprang to the support of his defender. He's hailed Bastian Schweinsteiger as a super player, but Spaniard Xabi Alonso - a yellow card machine of late - appears to be the preferred option. And his 37 million euro "chosen one" Mario Götze was on the bench for the most important game of the club's season. It's time someone started talking about Guardiola's hyperbole. Not only is not working, it's just not true anymore.

While protecting his players is admirable, flattery is a dangerous method particularly when standards are remarkably high. Head coaches in professional sport all over the world have turned to compliments when backs are against the wall. In a world saturated with clichés and phrases, the truth is harder and harder to find. In American football, the former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers Jim Harbaugh said his wide receiver Michael Crabtree had the best hands [catching] he had ever seen in the NFL. Harbaugh was fired unceremoniously at the end of the season and Crabtree was cut. It's wishful thinking but wouldn't it be nice if head coaches spoke a bit more truth? We can handle it.

Kruse follows the money

Max Kruse clearly has a career plan. After doing well at Freiburg, he moved up another level to Gladbach. After excelling there, he's now swapping Lucien Favre's high-flying group for Wolfsburg. This time, it's not a competition-based move - the pair have both qualified for the Champions League - but one about earning more for his trade. While Kruse fits into Gladbach's system better, his arrival gives Dieter Hecking much more variation in attack. Wolfsburg will be even more dangerous. Imagine Kevin de Bruyne linking with Ivan Perisic and Max Kruse? Sounds a bit like Gladbach those three at Gladbach this year.

As for Favre and his bunch, the key is not to struggle post departure. Mind you, they've hardly looked back since Marco Reus left so I wouldn't worry.

Something rotten in the state of Schalke

Headlines at Schalke! This isn't really news, but the indefinite suspension of Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sidney Sam is. I've never been in a Bundesliga changing rooms before or after a game, but I've played sport and there have always been and will always be players like Boateng in the team. At least, that's what type of player the Ghanaian appears to be. Clearly, enough was enough and that really doesn't surprise me. The mystery arrives when it comes to Sam and Marco Höger. The former has struggled with injuries, yes, but from the outside looking in he's always been a quiet, hard-working winger. Why now? The latter has been one of their best players this season, but now his future hangs in the balance? For all of Horst Heldt's trust-issue talk, there's no escaping how much of a circus this club is. From nearly beating Real Madrid to winning one of their last eight? Losing out on a Europa League spot to Borussia Dortmund after talk of a Champions League spot earlier in the season would be the end of Roberto di Matteo. In any case, Heldt should follow him out the door.

Wolfsburg have confirmed Mönchengladbach and Germany striker Max Kruse will join the club in the summer on a four-year deal. Kruse scored against Wolfsburg last month as the Foals bid to regain Champions League status.