Klopp-olution and the Dortmund revival

As the 2007-08 season came to a close, the air around Signal Iduna Park was glum. Dortmund had finished runners-up in the DFB Cup, losing to Bayern Munich in the final. It wasn’t the lack of silverware that concerned the fans – the team ended one of their worst Bundesliga campaign in over 2 decades in 13^th place. They had not mounted a serious title challenge since their league victory in 2001-02. The black and yellow fans of Dortmund demanded, and deserved, better.

On 19^th May, 2008, Thomas Doll resigned as manager of Dortmund after an unproductive spell. He was replaced by Jurgen Klopp, a somewhat low-profile name in the football managerial circuit. Klopp had led Mainz 05 to its first Bundesliga appearance and also guided them to a UEFA Cup spot in 2005-06. His immediate job at Dortmund was to lay the foundations of a team that would once again challenge for top honours and live up to the billing of being one of the most decorated clubs in Germany.

In his first season at the helm, Dortmund finished 6^th in the league. The disappointment of having missed out on European football was quickly forgotten after the team won the DFB Supercup after defeating old rivals, and German champions, Bayern Munich in the final. The team demonstrated some attractive football and Klopp’s vision and philosophies looked to be slowly falling in place. The following season they finished 5^th in the league, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Slowly but surely, Klopp was beginning to forge a team that was proving to be increasingly difficult to beat.

Dortmund’s squad for the 2010-11 season was a surprisingly young one. Klopp had snapped up some of the most promising youngsters from Germany and abroad, but the Dortmund faithful were sceptical. Could the lack of experience in their ranks prove to be a stumbling block for BVB? It seemed anything but, as Dortmund entered the winter break as unofficial Herbstmeister (Autumn Champion). On 30^th April 2011, they beat 1. FC Nurnberg 2-0 at home to go an unassailable 8 points clear at the top with 2 games to play. Dortmund were champions after almost a decade and Klopp was the man of the moment! The 2011-12 season saw Dortmund retain the Bundesliga title in record-breaking fashion as they notched up the most points in a single season in Bundesliga history.

The present squad is filled with young talents who have the desire to play for the shirt. Under Klopp, Dortmund play an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation. They are lightning quick on the break and have the enviable ability to play out from the back. They find themselves off the pace in this season, sitting at 3rd place on the table, but they still continue to play some mesmerizing football. With players like Gotze and Reus coming of age, Dortmund have given a good account of themselves in the Champions League having topped the Group of Death, defeating Real Madrid and Manchester City on their way. Big things are expected of them in Europe’s premier club competition this season.

Dortmund boasts of a highly balanced squad. Weidenfeller provides experience in goal and he is protected by the reliable central defensive pairing of Hummels and Subotic. With full-backs Piszczek and Schmelzer, Dortmund perhaps have one of the best passing defence in Europe. Kehl and Bender bind the team together and provide good support to the back four as well as to creative players like Gotze and Gundogan. The forward-line, consisting of Reus, Gotze and Lewandowski, dishes out a delectable concoction of pace, power and clinical ability to render the stingiest of defences helpless. And the players simply love playing under a manager whose tactical guile is cleverly blended with a bevy of emotions and raw passion for the game.

Klopp has turned the fortunes of the struggling outfit dramatically and his vibrant and charismatic character has made him the face of the young football managers of today. Klopp seems to share a wonderful rapport with his team and the team responds brilliantly. With a host of promising young talents in their ranks and the backing of the board, Dortmund look set to be serious title contenders domestically and continentally for years to come. Dortmund’s romance with Klopp seems to be in full bloom; mighty apt for a club whose motto is Echte Liebe, meaning ‘True Love’.