Over the weekend, German side Borussia Dortmund held a spectacular farewell sendoff for manager Jürgen Klopp prior to his last home league match against Werder Bremen.
After seven seasons in charge at Dortmund, Klopp informed the club that he would be leaving last month. During his tenure, Klopp led the club to two Bundesliga titles, one DFB-Pokal win (so far), and an appearance in the Champions League final. While he immediately became one of the hottest managerial free agents for the upcoming season, not as much attention was paid to what he was leaving behind. In a show of generosity not often shown by home fans in sports, let alone a sport as provincial as soccer, the Dortmund fans went all out to show their appreciation for what Klopp accomplished despite the fact he was moving on.
The club itself joined in the celebration, helping spawn a hashtag (#dankekloppo or “thanks Kloppo”) for the occasion and arranging for Klopp to enjoy a well-earned moment in the sun.
We at the18 (or at least me anyway) have already shown how much we appreciate and love Kloppo, but this season was truly remarkable. At the winter break in December, Dortmund sat in last place, unthinkably in the relegation zone. In spite of the fact it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that their manager would be moving on, Dortmund rallied and with the 3-2 victory over Bremen, finished 7th in the Bundesliga (qualifying for the Europa League next season). Perhaps more importantly for the fans, Dortmund upset rival Bayern Munich in Munich on penalties to advance to the final of the DFB-Pokal (Germany’s version of the FA Cup).
Kudos to the Dortmund management and fans for truly honoring this great man, even as he is prepared to move to a new club. Klopp will now attempt to return the favor by giving the club & fans the parting gift of the DFB-Pokal in his final match in charge this coming Saturday against Wolfsburg. We can only imagine how crazy the fans will go if they can see him with one final trophy in his hands on Saturday.
Follow Mike Smith on Twitter @thefootiegent
#dankekloppo
