GERMANY According to coach Edin Terzic, the pain of losing the Bundesliga title in the final round will be the driving force for Dortmund to perform better next season.
“We tried until the last second,” said Terzic after the 2-2 draw with Mainz in the 34th round of the Bundesliga. “You can see how difficult this sport we love can be. It’s excruciatingly painful. There’s no happy ending for us this season. But today’s pain no matter how great it is. is the driving force for tomorrow”.
Coach Terzic was sad after Dortmund drew Mainz 2-2 on May 27, and missed the chance to win the Bundesliga this season. Photo: DPA
At Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund got off to a bad start when, in turn, Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Karim Onisiwo conceded a goal after 24 minutes. Interspersed is a broken penalty kick by Sebastian Haller.
In the second half, Raphael Guerreiro and Niklas Sule opened fire to equalize 2-2, rekindling hope for the home team. But then, the match was less than a minute, and Dortmund could not create the miracle. In the match at the same time, Bayern won 2-1 to take the first place thanks to the goal difference and the championship.
“It’s hard to find the right words,” added Tezic of the draw. “We felt empty because we knew about the chance to win, felt the energy inside the pitch and the whole city. We were all so hungry for the title. We were so close and only one goal missing. “.
According to the 40-year-old coach, Dortmund started well, controlling the game with opportunities, but the legs became “heavy” when they received two consecutive goals in the first 25 minutes and needed “time to find clarity.” clear in the gameplay”.
Coach Terzic comforts striker Haller after the final whistle of the match at Westfalen on May 27. Photo: DPA
Terzic also defended Haller for his missed penalty and praised the Ivory Coast forward for his “unbelievable” journey this season. Haller was diagnosed with a tumor in his testicle and had to undergo surgery in July 2022, had a second surgery in November and scored his first Dortmund goal in a 5-1 win over Freiburg on Cancer Day. 4/2 world. After that, he scored eight more goals to help Dortmund prevail in the title race.
Yesterday, the fans came to Signal Iduna Park to prepare for the first Bundesliga title celebration since 2012. Although the club could not be crowned, they did not blame or act aggressively, but lingered on the stage. cheering for the Dortmund members. “We will always be Dortmund, never, another club,” many fans sang the traditional song in unison.
“They have always supported the club from day one,” Terzic thanked the fans. “It hurts that we can’t give them a present today. But we will. It’s just going to take a little longer.”
Dortmund coach also sent his best wishes to Bayern for winning the title for the 11th time in a row. “When you’re on top after 34 laps, you deserve to win, no matter how that happens,” Terzic said.
