By Heinz Büse, dpa I Wednesday, August 09, 2023
DORTMUND – Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has said that missing out on the Bundesliga title last season in a duel with Bayern Munich was worse than losing the Champions League final against them 10 years ago.
Watzke told Wednesday’s edition of Sport Bild magazine that the near miss was, however , no reason to question the work of coach Edin Terzic.
Dortmund entered the final league matchday at the top but were held 2-2 at home by Mainz, allowing Bayern to steal the title on goal difference with a late 2-1 victory at Cologne.
“I must admit that I was deeply hurt. The following two weeks were worse than after the 2013 Champions League final against Bayern at Wembley,” he said, referring to a late 2-1 Bayern win in the European final.
Watzke said he “almost went crazy” when he was asked about the Bundesliga finale on several occasions afterwards while attending the final of the German Cup, the Europa League and the Champions League.
But he also insisted that he has not given up up that Dortmund can dethrone Bayern who have won the last 11 league titles.
“When I dream about something it is winning another big title with Dortmund,” he said. “Bayern are always in pole position, we have to pass them.”
Watzke said that he has full faith in Terzic, with whom he has an “extraordinary” relationship and who he compared to Jürgen Klopp who was in charge at Dortmund 2007-2014.
“We will go the way with Edin Terzic for the next few years. Period,” Watzke said.
“After being in this business for so long I think I can judge who is a top coach. And Edin is a coach with extraordinary abilities. After Jürgen Klopp, he is once again the coach who completely commits himself to this club.
“Which, in his case, of course has to do with the fact that he has always been a BVB fan. He is a Borussian through and through. But you can’t expect that from other coaches either. That’s not normal in football. That is the main difference,” Watzke said.
Terzic was Dortmund interim coach in the second half of the 2020-21 season and got a full contract last year which runs until 2025. Watzke also said in his function as chairman of the German Football League supervisory board that the whole Bundesliga would benefit if Bayern manage to sign England striker Harry Kane.
The Bundesliga season starts next week, with Bayern opening at Werder Bremen on August 18 and Dortmund hosting Cologne the next day.
