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| | | "It´ll be like the Final at Wimbledon or Wembley" | | | | [11.05.] The one and only previous occasion in their 103 year history when Borussia Dortmund stood on the verge of winning the domestic ´double´ was in 1963. That time they ´only´ won the Championship. On Saturday (kick off 2000CET) in Berlin´s Olympic Stadium they take on Bayern Munich with the intention of completing the job this time round. | | | Felix Ulrich reports from Berlin
A ´small´ victory was gained at the press conference on Friday when BVB coach Jürgen Klopp and captain Sebastian Kehl got to the stage five minutes ahead of Bayern´s representatived, Jupp Heynckes and Philipp Lahm. Klopp cheekily was heard saying, "We are ahead already..."
 | | there is unmistakeable desire in the eyes of Jürgen Klopp and Jupp Heynckes. One of them will hold the trophy later today. |
Soon thereafter the 44 year-old was outlining the significance of Dortmund´s fifth appearance in the German Cup Final (previous Finals were in ´63, ´65, ´89 and 2008), "We want to make the most of this opportunity. We have an exceptional team and are in fine form, and you know what, after 103 years I reckon its about our turn."
Bayern themselves seemed to echo some of these sentiments. That they have a deal of respect for opponents who have now beaten them on four consecutive occasions was clear when the Bayern coach said, "Any team that has won the Championship with a record points total would have to be considered the favourites," before adding, "Of course winning the Cup would mean a lot to me and I believe that, perhaps, tomorrow, it will be our turn."
Heynckes: "Any team that has won the Championship with a record points total would have to be considered the favourites"
Whilst Bayern (who also have next week´s Champions League Final against Chelsea to consider) clearly believe they can win the game, that same respect for their opponents can be found in the Borussia ranks with, perhaps, just a little bit more desire to make it happen. Commenting on how it had been no problem keeping the team focussed on the Final having wrapped up the title so early, Klopp said, "Winning the league three weeks ago was a plus, but we still wanted to get that 81-point total. Only when we had achieved that last weekend did the Final appear on our horizon. Our focus has been constant throughout.
 | | The BVB-Logo in front of the Brandenburg Gate. |
The Final holds a special place in Jürgen Klopp´s heart having looked on for years and each year finding the occasion very alluring, "It´s completely different from the league but features two teams that are right up there with the best. We will approach the game as if it were the Wimbledon Final or a game at Wembley."Sebastian Kehl echoed those emotions, "You don´t get to take part in a German (DFB) Cup Final everyday. The fascination of such an event comes from knowing that in the end one team will go home as winners whilst the others travel back as losers.
Jupp Heynckes is equally committed to the Final in Berlin, but he accepted that it would only be natural if some of his players occasionally found their minds wandering to next week and the ´home´ game with Chelsea, "We are taking it step-by-step. We can´t avoid thinking about it but we are focussed on the German Cup Final. It is a huge game in itself, and afterwards we can move on to the game in Munich." His captain, Philipp Lahm, was of the same opinion, "We want to win the Cup on Saturday. We will give it our all, because if you get to a Final, then you have to do all you can to win it."
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