Niklas Süle describes BVB fans as a “competitive advantage” | OneFootball

“If it's not euphoria you're hearing right now, then what is it?” asked managing director Lars Ricken to his interlocutor, Sky reporter Patrick Wasserziehr, who had started his segment with the words: “Now the atmosphere here is slowly but surely starting to feel as if Borussia Dortmund had really won something”. The fans repeatedly belted out the popular chant “Europapokal - Borussia Dortmund international!” interspersed with shouts of “Niko Kovac.”

The thanks of the spectators and the management team - from Hans-Joachim Watzke to Ricken and sporting director Sebastian Kehl - went to the man who took charge of Borussia Dortmund at the beginning of February, when the team’s prospects of a tenth Champions League appearance in a row and 20th in total seemed hopeless. In the “Kovac table”, starting on Matchday 21, Borussia Dortmund are second with 28 points, just three behind Bayern Munich (31). This upturn in fortunes was enough to see the Black & Yellows jump from 11th to fourth place. The team picked up 22 out of a possible 24 points from the final eight games. Only Bayern Munich (unbeaten on the first 13 matchdays) and Bayer Leverkusen (undefeated from matchdays 2 to 24) managed longer streaks this season.

“The season was one of big ups and downs,” said Niklas Süle. He emphasised “how we've marched on in recent weeks, how we've stood together,” and thanked the fans who have supported the team throughout the season: “It's a bit of a competitive advantage that we have here at home. And it's all the nicer to celebrate with them here.” Relief, joy, euphoria - Felix Nmecha felt “a bit of everything”. For him, too, the “joy that we've made it and that we'll be playing in the Champions League next season,” was the prevailing emotion.

There was an exuberant atmosphere in the stands and on the pitch after a tough first half against Holstein Kiel. The early lead (third minute, Guirassy penalty) and the early numerical advantage (eighth minute, Johansson sent off) initially did not play into Borussia’s hands, “because we were overcomplicating things,” said Julian Brandt: “When we have a lot of time, we think too much, make the wrong decisions and play ponderously and slowly.” Niklas Süle took a similar view: “I think we would have played better football if it had been 11 versus 11.”

It didn't matter in the end. Marcel Sabitzer's long-range strike shortly after the start of the second half unpicked the lock, and after Felix Nmecha's goal to make it 3-0 (73), the game and the outcome of the season were decided. As Frankfurt came from behind in Freiburg, goal difference was no longer important. Either way, the Black & Yellows had reached the finish line.

Ricken praised Kovac's three-month tenure as “one of the greatest coaching achievements in BVB's history.” Kovac himself was asked about “the greatest coaching achievement,” this time without the important qualifier “one of”, and was keen to stress the successes of “other great coaches here,” like Jürgen Klopp and Ottmar Hitzfeld.

The latter actually led the Black & Yellows from 13th place after Matchday 24 to fourth place at the end of the 1993/94 season. Incidentally, Lars Ricken was in the squad as a player 31 years ago.Boris Rupert