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Klopp takes blame for Dortmund defeat to Leverkusen
By Mark Doyle
Aug 23, 2014 21:37:00
BVB conceded after just nine seconds in their opening game of the new Bundesliga season and the 47-year-old coach has shouldered the responsibility for his side's sluggish start
Jurgen Klopp says that he is to blame for Borussia Dortmund's shock 2-0 defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
Last season's Bundesliga runners-up had hoped to hit the ground running on the opening day of the 2014-15 campaign but they fell behind right from the kick-off, with Karim Bellarabi claiming the record for the fastest goal in the history of the German top flight by netting after just nine seconds of action.
The winger then set up Stefan Kiessling for a second Leverkusen goal in the dying seconds, thus leaving Klopp ruing his side's sluggishness in the early exchanges at Signal Iduna Park.
"The start to the game hurt, of course," the BVB boss told reporters. "Leverkusen used their plan; we, unfortunately, did not.
"We have a lot of work to do. That we were not awake at the beginning I blame on myself.
"Our feeling in the first 25 minutes was influenced dramatically after the early goal.
"The team has shown great will and if we'd taken one of our chances, then we would have turned the game. But Bayer earned their win."
Although he alluded to his attack's profligacy in front of goal, Klopp insisted that he did not want to single anyone out for criticism.
"[The finishing] was obviously bad, but the [forwards] have not screwed up alone," he pointed out.
The striker has gone 259 minutes without a competitive goal for his new club but is confident he will soon be off and running
Robert Lewandowski is confident he will open his Bayern Munich account soon despite a third game without a goal.
The Poland international's wait for a first competitive goal extended to 259 minutes on Friday as he was unable to beat Wolfsburg goalkeeper Max Grun at the Allianz Arena.
Grun denied the 26-year-old on numerous occasions, including an impressive save when Lewandowski only had him to beat.
Despite the striker's misses, his side got off to a winning start as Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller secured a 2-1 win and a fine start to their Bundesliga title defence.
Lewandowski, who was substituted with 11 minutes to go, expects to keep improving as he settles into life at Bayern and is sure he will be contributing goals to their cause before long.
"We won our first match and picked up our first three points," he said. "I hope the next match will be even better and of course I hope I can score.
"I think I have never scored in my first match. I had two good chances but I think I'll do better next week.
"Of course a goal would have been good for me but I'm not upset. We have three points. I have to stay calm, but I'm sure I'll score soon."
His next chance to open his account on Saturday when they visit Schalke in the Bundesliga.
Bundesliga Review: Mainz and Monchengladbach leave it late
24 August 2014
A 94th-minute Koo Ja-cheol penalty for Mainz cruelly denied Paderborn victory in their first ever Bundesliga match.
Andre Breitenreiter guided Paderborn to promotion from the 2. Bundesliga in his debut campaign last season and the north-west club were on course to mark their maiden top-flight fixture with a win on Sunday.
Shinji Okazaki gave visitors Mainz a 33rd-minute lead by tapping home from close range after Paderborn keeper Lukas Kruse failed to hold on to a free-kick.
Paderborn's response was swift, though, and Elias Kachunga netted the club's first Bundesliga goal four minutes later with a fine finish from 20 yards.
The hosts thought they had won it in the 87th minute as captain Uwe Hunemeier nodded home, but the skipper went from hero to zero when he felled Okazaki in the box in injury-time.
The Japan international duly picked himself up to convert from 12 yards, giving new Mainz coach Kasper Hjulmand a point in his Bundesliga bow.
Sunday's other top-flight game also saw late drama as Borussia Monchengladbach salvaged a 1-1 draw in the 90th minute at home to Stuttgart.
Branimir Hrgota, who scored twice against Sarajevo in the UEFA Europa League in midweek, should have put the hosts ahead just after the break.
But the unmarked Swede inexplicably missed the target from close-range after latching on to an inviting cross from the right.
Stuttgart made the home side pay for that miss, as Alexandru Maxim lashed a half-volley under Yann Sommer after good work from Christian Gentner in the 51st minute.
Armin Veh's men could not hold on for the win, though, as Monchengladbach's World Cup winner Christoph Kramer fired in a late equaliser after getting on the end of Alvaro Dominguez's well-placed cut-back.
Bayern Munich left-back David Alaba said his side will take time to find form in the Bundesliga.
The two-time defending champions in Germany earned a 2-1 win at home to Wolfsburg on their opening matchday, but were fortunate to escape with all three points.
Junior Malanda missed an open goal at the Allianz Arena that would have equalised for the visitors, however Bayern held on courtesy of goals to Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben.
Defender Alaba conceded he and his team-mates were lucky, and said it might take time for Pep Guardiola's men to build momentum - ahead of their trip to Schalke on Saturday.
"We just need a bit to gain our top form. At this moment I can't say when this is going to happen," Alaba said.
"Our goal was to get these three points [against Wolfsburg]. The match wasn't easy, everyone could see it but we're on the way.
On their upcoming opponents, Alaba said: "It's an interesting situation but Schalke has a good team with good individuals.
"It's never easy at Schalke but we want to win there too, prepare well this week to be successful."
Forward Muller said Schalke's first-up loss to Hannover was no indication of their capabilities.
"At Schalke there is always a hot atmosphere and an interesting game," Muller said.
"I am confident but I don't think Schalke's bad start means anything to that particular match."
Muller insisted Bayern feared no-one, as they continue their bid for a third straight domestic crown - a feat they achieved between 1998 and 2001.
"It does not matter who our opponent is. We have to show our strengths and just play our game. Then it will be difficult for every opponent," he said.
"That is our task. I do not care about our upcoming opponents in the Bundesliga. We analyse our opponents and I just want to win the game."
Assani Lukimya has penned a two-year extension with Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen.
The 28-year-old centre-back's deal was due to expire in 2015, but he has agreed terms on a fresh contract that runs until June 2017.
Lukimya was on target as Bremen started the new campaign with a comeback 2-2 draw at Hertha Berlin on Saturday and he was thrilled to be prolonging his stay.
"I sense a strong trust within the team and a high standing," he told Bremen's official website.
"I enjoy the calm way people work here and you can tell that things are going forward step by step.
"I am also happy to remain part of the team. My goal is to continue to develop together with the team."
General manager Thomas Eichin added: "Assani is a very important player who has a high standing within the team. Without a doubt, he is one of the league's strongest players in challenges.
"We are happy that Luki will stay with us beyond the season and that we can continue our road together."
Lukimya joined Werder from Fortuna Dusseldorf in 2012 and has gone on to make 46 Bundesliga appearances.
Benatia: Guardiola desperately wanted me at Bayern
By Stefan Coerts
Aug 27, 2014 10:53:00
The Morocco international has revealed that the Bayern coach's desire to sign him proved to be crucial in the end
Mehdi Benatia has stressed that joining Bayern Munich is a dream come true for him and he's delighted to get the chance to work with head coach Pep Guardiola at his new club.
The Bundesliga champions announced on Tuesday that they have reached an agreement with Roma over the transfer of the 27-year-old, with Benatia set to sign a five-year deal with Bayern upon completion of his medical later this week.
"I am very happy that my transfer to Bayern is happening at last," the centre-back told Sport1.
"The move dragged on for a bit and at some point I feared that it could fall through.
"But Guardiola desperately wanted me at Bayern and an agreement was eventually reached. Guardiola is a fantastic trainer and I am looking forward to working with him.
"Bayern have a lot of amazing players and it is a dream come true to be part of this great squad."
Bayern were keen to sign an extra defender after Javi Martinez was ruled out of action for several months due to a knee injury.
Benatia joined Roma from Udinese in the summer of 2013 and previously wore the jerseys of Clermont, Lorient, Tours and Olympique de Marseille.
Benedikt Howedes views Saturday's Bundesliga clash with champions Bayern Munich as a great opportunity to lift the gloom at Schalke.
The Gelsenkirchen club have endured a miserable start to the season, as they were dumped out of the DFB-Pokal in the first round by 3. Liga side Dynamo Dresden and then suffered a 2-1 defeat at Hannover in their Bundesliga opener.
To make matters worse, left-back Sead Kolasinac suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee at the HDI-Arena to join Jefferson Farfan, Leon Goretzka, Fabian Giefer and Atsuto Uchida on the injury list.
Schalke general manager Horst Heldt backed coach Jens Keller following the defeat to Hannover and defender Howedes is determined to put things right when Pep Guardiola's side visit the Veltins-Arena this weekend.
The Schalke captain told the club's official website: "We're obviously not happy with the situation, we have to be clear about that. If we work hard, then we'll surely be back on the right path.
"As a result of a tough pre-season, the World Cup participants' late return to the team and a long list of injuries, the team need more time to find their rhythm again. We're really working hard."
World-Cup winner Howedes has urged his team-mates to win the battle against the Bavarian giants and believes facing the champions so early in the season could work in their favour.
"We need this aggressiveness against Bayern," said Howedes. "We need to win one-on-one challenges so we don't give them the opportunity to make developments.
"Not every player will be at 100 per cent. The World Cup players have only recently returned to training, but as we saw in the Wolfsburg match [Bayern won 2-1], they have the quality to score at the right moment.
"We have to be ready because of this. We have to balance out Bayern's individual quality with our passion."
Bayern, who started the defence of their Bundesliga title with victory over Wolfsburg last Friday, could hand a debut to defender Mehdi Benatia following his move from Roma.
Roger Schmidt masterminded a 2-0 victory at Borussia Dortmund in his first Bundesliga game in charge of Bayer Leverkusen and he will be demanding a repeat performance when his side host Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
The former Red Bull Salzburg coach watched Karim Bellarabi fire Leverkusen in front after only nine seconds - a Bundesliga record - and Sebastian Kiessling sealed the points deep into stoppage time to stun Jurgen Klopp's men.
Hertha looked set to start with a victory when Julian Schieber's double put them in command against Werder Bremen, but the visitors scored twice in as many second-half minutes to secure a 2-2 draw.
Klopp warned that Dortmund have a lot of work to do following their opening-day defeat and he will be expecting a response at Augsburg, who were beaten 2-0 at Hoffenheim last weekend, on Friday.
Hoffenheim will be out to make it two wins out of two at Werder Bremen on Saturday, while Hannover aim to build on their encouraging start with a victory at Mainz on Sunday.
Wolfsburg host Eintracht Frankfurt, Stuttgart entertain Cologne and newly promoted Paderborn travel to Hamburg in the other games to be played on Saturday, with Borussia Monchengladbach at Freiburg in the second game on Sunday.
Goals from Marco Reus, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Adrian Ramos saw Borussia Dortmund kick-start their season with a 3-2 win at Augsburg.
Jurgen Klopp's men slipped to a disappointing 2-0 reverse at home to Bayer Leverkusen in their Bundesliga opener last Saturday.
Last season's runners-up were far more assured in Friday's clash at the SGL Arena, although a late rally from the hosts set up a nervy finish.
Reus, who suffered the heartbreak of missing Germany's World Cup triumph last month with an ankle injury, was at his influential best throughout.
The forward combined well with Kevin Grosskreutz - who, alongside goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller, made his first competitive start since the World Cup - to score the opener, before providing the corner for Sokratis to make it 2-0 within 15 minutes.
Substitute Ramos grabbed his first Dortmund goal 12 minutes from time, and the strike ultimately proved crucial as Augsburg hit back with late replies from Raul Bobadilla and Tim Matavz.
Dortmund fired an early warning when Lukasz Piszczek's cross from the right narrowly avoided the outstretched foot of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The opener duly arrived in the 11th minute when Reus collected the ball from deep and worked his way to the edge of the area. He then played a clever one-two with Grosskreutz before sliding a left-foot shot past Marwin Hitz.
Reus turned provider for Dortmund's second three minutes later.
The forward's teasing outswinging corner from the right was met by Sokratis, who leapt superbly to head into the bottom-left corner.
Augsburg showed flashes of the form that took them to eighth in the table last season, Piszczek making a particularly fine challenge to rescue Dortmund when Nikola Djurdjic was bearing down on goal.
The visitors remained largely in control, though, and Aubameyang forced Hitz into a smart low save to his left.
Djurdjic should have halved the deficit nine minutes before the break, the Serbian side-footing wide when one-on-one with Weidenfeller.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan flashed a shot wide from the edge of the box on the stroke of half-time and Dortmund's pressure continued after the restart when Erik Durm tried his luck from distance but shot wide.
Sven Bender entered the fray in the 73rd minute and earned an immediate yellow card for a poor challenge on Halil Altintop, Bobadilla putting the resulting free-kick just wide.
The game then appeared to have been sewn up in the 78th minute. Mkhitaryan's shot from the edge of the box was saved and Ramos - a replacement for Grosskreutz - was on hand to stab home the rebound.
Bobadilla gave Augsburg a glimmer of hope when he provided a deft finish over Weidenfeller five minutes later following a fine cross from Abdul Rahman Baba.
Mkhitaryan then thought he should have had a penalty when he went to ground under a challenge in the area from Ragnar Klavan, before Matavz ensured a nervy ending when he registered his first Augsburg goal with a strong front-post header from Baba's left-wing cross in the 90th minute.
Xabi Alonso has finalised his move from Real Madrid to Bayern Munich, signing a two-year contract with the Bundesliga giants.
The German champions announced on Thursday that, following negotiations with both Real and Alonso, the midfielder would switch to the Allianz Arena subject to a medical
A short statement published on Bayern's official Twitter feed on Friday read: "Xabi Alonso has completed his move to Bayern!
"Contract between FCB and Real Madrid signed."
The 32-year-old, who announced his retirement from international football on Wednesday after winning 114 caps for Spain, signed a two-year extension to his Real contract back in January.
However, he has seemingly been pushed down the pecking order following the arrivals of Toni Kroos - who joined from Bayern - and James Rodriguez.
Alonso moved to Real from Liverpool in 2009 and quickly established himself as the heartbeat of a team that, under the management of Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, won La Liga, the UEFA Champions League and two Copa del Reys during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 2010 World Cup winner is set to become the second Spaniard signed by Bayern coach Pep Guardiola in this transfer window after his compatriot also recruited Alonso's former Liverpool team-mate Pepe Reina.
Alonso will be expected to help cover the long-term absence of another countryman, Javi Martinez, who suffered a cruciate ligament injury in Bayern's DFL Supercup defeat to Borussia Dortmund earlier this month.
Paderborn have announced the signing of defender Rafa from Getafe on a two-year contract.
The 29-year-old has spent six years with the La Liga outfit and played the full 90 minutes as they kicked off the new campaign with a 3-1 defeat at Celta Vigo.
However, Rafa has now been deemed surplus to requirements at Coliseum Alfonso Perez, with Bundesliga new boys Paderborn opting to add him to their defensive ranks.
"We've had our eyes and ears open for some time to strengthen the defence," said general manager Michael Born. "I'm very pleased that the intensive negotiations with Getafe have led to a good result."
Coach Andre Breitenreiter is equally happy with the new addition as Paderborn look to retain their top-flight status.
"Rafa is a player who can help us immediately with his experience and his footballing education; he can give our team more stability, [which] we desperately need in the Bundesliga," added Breitenreiter.
Paderborn are unbeaten in the league so far this season, having drawn 2-2 with Mainz before winning 3-0 at Hamburg.
Rafael van der Vaart has allayed fears over his fitness after picking up a suspected calf injury on Saturday.
The Netherlands international had to be substituted 37 minutes into Hamburg's shock 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Paderborn after sustaining the knock.
However, Van der Vaart does not believe he will miss out on any club action, despite withdrawing from the Dutch squad for fixtures against Italy and Czech Republic.
"I think I can play for Hamburg again in two weeks at Hannover," he is quoted as saying by Bild.
Hamburg are yet to score this season, having been held to a goalless draw at Cologne prior to their loss against Paderborn.
Van der Vaart has scored 12 goals in 56 league appearances for Hamburg since returning to the club from Tottenham in 2012.
Striker Aristide Bance has had his Augsburg contract terminated by mutual consent, while Mathias Fetsch has left the club on loan.
Having made 18 Bundesliga appearances during his first season with the club, Burkina Faso international Bance was sent to Fortuna Dusseldorf on loan last term.
Bance, who was contracted until 2015, scored just two goals in 16 outings in the second tier and has now been deemed surplus to requirements at Augsburg.
"We wish Aristide Bance all the best for his future," read a short statement.
Meanwhile, attacker Fetsch has been loaned out to Dynamo Dresden for the duration of the season.
Fetsch spent most of last season on loan at Energie Cottbus, but did manage one top-flight appearance before his departure.
The 22-year-old will spend the rest of the season at the Coface Arena on loan in a bid to build up more top-level experience
Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that attacker Jonas Hofmann has joined Mainz on loan until the end of the season.
The 22-year-old joined BVB in 2011 from Hoffenheim and had steadily made inroads into Jurgen Klopp's first team over the last couple of seasons.
However, the return of Shinji Kagawa from Manchester United has left him surplus to requirements and he has moved to Coface Arena until June 2015.
"It is really important for me to get some match practice at an ambitious club," the Germany Under-21 international said.
"I'd like to thank Borussia Dortmund, the fans and all my team-mates. My love affair with Borussia Dortmund is far from over."
Sporting director Michael Zorc added: "Jonas Hofmann has huge potential for future development. We are convinced in Jonas' talent and we have both decided that it makes sense of him to get match practice at the highest level."
The Spain international is ready to take the next step in his recovery from a knee problem after going under the knife
Bayern Munich have announced that Javi Martinez has returned to Germany after successfully undergoing surgery on his knee in the USA.
The Spain international suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during the German Super Cup in Dortmund earlier this month and will consequently be sidelined for the remainder of 2014.
Nevertheless, he is now ready to take the next step in his recovery after his successful operation.
"Javi Martinez will today return to Germany from the USA. His surgery went well. #Getwellsoon #MiaSanMia," a tweet from the club's official account reads.
Martinez joined Bayern from Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2012 and has won two Bundesliga titles, as many DFB Pokals, the Champions League and the Club World Cup with the Bavarians.
The holding midfielder's injury prompted Bayern to add two more players to their squad last week, with Mehdi Benatia and Xabi Alonso leaving Roma and Real Madrid respectively for the Bundesliga champions.
The midfielder has left Tottenham for a temporary move away for the second time, with the Bundesliga outfit able to make the move permanent at the end of the season
Tottenham midfielder Lewis Holtby has joined Hamburg on a season-long loan deal.
Goal exclusively revealed in August that the Bundesliga outfit were eyeing a move for the German, with Hamburg retaining the option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.
A permanent contract starting in 2015 has already been agreed and would require no negotiations should the German side activate the clause to buy him at the end of this campaign, Goal understands.
The 23-year-old spent the second half of last season at Fulham after falling out of favour under both Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood and has been afforded just one substitute appearance under new boss Mauricio Pochettino this term.
Cristian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Nacer Chadli are currently ahead of Holtby in the pecking order and the attacking midfielder was an unused substitute in recent Premier League clashes with QPR and Liverpool.
Aug 31, 2014 09:00:00
By Ben Hayward | Spanish Football Writer
It was a gentleman's goodbye. Xabi Alonso faced the Madrid media with both elegance and eloquence on Friday to bid farewell to the Spanish side and discuss his surprise move to Bayern Munich. But even though his words were generous, the real reasons behind his shock exit never emerged.
Alonso told the press pack at the Santiago Bernabeu that he was leaving for a new challenge, claiming he lacked motivation after a season which saw Madrid claim their holy grail: La Decima.
"New motivations are needed," Alonso explained. "Maybe those stopped after we won La Decima. I wasn't going to be at the level I wanted."
That seemed strange, not only because the midfielder missed the final in Lisbon through suspension and famously celebrated by jumping out of his seat and running the length of the pitch to embrace his team-mates, but also because he signed a new two-year contract extension only in January.
Alonso's return from injury last October saw Carlo Ancelotti's side improve drastically and discover the "balance" the coach had been calling for in the previous months in what had been a stuttering start to the season. "I was lucky to have [Andrea] Pirlo at Milan," the Italian said. "And I am very lucky to have Alonso here at Real Madrid."
And even when Madrid signed Toni Kroos from Bayern this summer, Alonso remained a key part of Ancelotti's plans. "It's not a tantrum. I had the confidence of the club and the coach. I would have played a lot of minutes," the midfielder said on Friday.
"Kroos is an excellent player," Alonso added. And he meant it, but the 32-year-old believed the German would only operate effectively playing centrally in a deep midfield role like his own and expected that - sooner or later - there would be a debate over which of the two should start in that position.
Knowing how these things work at Madrid, Xabi was concerned that sections of the media would put pressure on Ancelotti to pick Kroos instead. He was also fully aware that president Florentino Perez would want the German in the side following his signing this summer. As Alonso turns 33 in November, it was a battle he would have been unlikely to win.
The former Liverpool midfielder had been tempted by Bayern's initial interest last year, but opted to stay at Madrid after things went well with Ancelotti and the team began to look like real challengers for the biggest prizes.
But after claiming the Champions League, Alonso noticed a degree of relaxation in some members of the squad and when he spoke about needing more motivation, he was not only talking about himself.
With Bayern back in for him, the midfielder saw the opportunity to work under a coach who will ensure he is highly motivated and from whom he can learn valuable lessons for a future in the dugout. "It's a time in which I'm going to learn," Alonso said. "I have been lucky enough to work with great coaches, my father was also a coach and my position in central midfield requires tactical knowledge."
Having already worked with Rafa Benitez, Jose Mourinho, Ancelotti, Luis Aragones and Vicente del Bosque, Alonso will now link up with another of the game's greatest coaches in Guardiola and he hopes to absorb all he can from the former Barca boss.
"I have learned from all of my coaches and I am sure I will learn a lot with Guardiola," he said.
When he hangs up his boots, Alonso is keen to move into coaching and knows that, if he is to manage one of the big two in Spain, it is unlikely to be Barcelona because of his strong links to Madrid and his rivalry with the Catalan club in Clasico clashes in recent years.
Key, therefore, is staying on good terms with Perez, who is likely to remain in charge for some time to come at the Bernabeu. And it was Alonso himself who proposed the idea of a press conference to explain that his departure was "a personal decision", knowing his president would approve and especially after witnessing Florentino's fury as Angel Di Maria criticised the club publicly in a letter last week.
Xabi's departure was much less controversial than the Argentine's of course and, even though he is joining a direct European rival and linking up with a Barcelona legend, his elegant exit paves the way for a possible return to Real as coach in future, while the Munich move also gives him the opportunity to show he is just as good as Kroos and allows him to learn from perhaps the best coach around as he competes for major honours at the same time. Motivation aplenty.
Kerching! Kagawa return a commercial hit for Dortmund
By Stefan Coerts
Sep 2, 2014 10:48:00
The Japan international returned to the Bundesliga champions this summer and the club's marketing director is optimistic they will benefit from the deal
Borussia Dortmund marketing chief Carsten Cramer believes the return of Shinji Kagawa will be a huge boost for the club's commercial activities.
The Japan international previously wore the Dortmund jersey between 2010 and 2012 before leaving the club for Manchester United.
He failed to make an impact at Old Trafford, though, and has now returned to the club where he rose to prominence in Europe, much to the delight of BVB's fans.
Over 5000 jerseys with Kagawa's name on it have been sold since Dortmund announced the signing of the attacking midfielder and the club have little doubt the 25-year-old's return will benefit the commercially.
"The transfer of Kagawa plays right into Dortmund's hands when it comes to merchandise," Cramer was quoted as saying by Bild.
"Kagawa is a huge boost for us in Japan and the rest of Asia. This gives us a push in the right direction.
Kagawa won two Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal during his first spell at Dortmund.
The versatile attacker has learned not to take anything for granted in his career and conceded that complacency is a potential danger
Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller has stressed that football is a "shark tank" as one poor performance or an injury can cost you your career.
The Germany international has developed into a key player a the Bundesliga champions over the past few seasons, but he realises that it could all be over for him again if something goes wrong.
"The football world is much like a shark tank," Muller was quoted as saying by Playboy. "Only those who perform will survive.
"When you get injured or struggle to find your best form, the next player is ready to take your place."
Muller then went on to admit that it's not easy to stay motivated after all the success at club and international level in recent years due to quality of the teams that he plays for.
"There's a risk that we get a bit complacent. There are few games left with Bayern and Germany where you really get all fired up.
"Most of the time, a win is nothing more than what people were expecting. We will see how I deal with this as my career goes on.
"If I had had the choice, I would have preferred all this success at the end of my career rather than at the start of it so I could end my career on a high."
The Dortmund supremo is hopeful that the Germany international will decide against a transfer following the arrival of the attacking midfielder
Borussia Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke believes the return of Shinji Kagawa could convince Marco Reus to stay at the club and is confident the two are compatible.
The Japan international returned to BVB last week after a difficult two-year spell at Manchester United, whereas Reus on the other hand is being heavily linked with a move away from Dortmund at the end of the 2014-15 campaign.
Nevertheless, Watzke believes the signing of Kagawa is further proof that the Bundesliga outfit are on the right path and hopes Reus will realise that Signal Iduna Park is the place for him.
"Marco also sees what's happening here at Dortmund. I don't have any doubts about that," Watzke was quoted as saying by Sport Bild.
"Marco and Shinji are very well capable of playing together. We have a number of great players in midfield now. It's the perfect mix of experience, dynamic players and players who can retain possession.
"The stiff competition for places that everybody's been talking about is something I have yet to experience in real life. We have to get to the point where we are able to replace one or two great players each game."
Reus has a contract with Dortmund until June 2017, but allegedly has a buyout clause that allows him to leave for €35 million in the summer of 2015.
The midfielder suffered tendon damage and was initially ruled out for three weeks but after undergoing surgery, it has been revealed he will be out of action for much longer
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin underwent knee surgery on Wednesday and will be out for around two months.
The Turkey international was initially ruled out for three weeks after it was revealed he suffered tendon damage in training.
However, Sahin is now set for a longer spell on the sidelines after undergoing an operation on his left knee.
A statement on the club's official website said: "Nuri Sahin has had surgery on Wednesday in the Isar Clinic in Platt Park Ling.
"Dr. Heinz-Jurgen Eichhorn removed inflamed tissue from Sahin's left knee during surgery. Borussia Dortmund team doctor Markus Braun based an approximately two-month rehabilitation period for the Turkish national player."
Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has had to contend with a lengthy injury list at the start of the season, with Jakub Blaszczykowski and Ilkay Gundogan among his other absentees.
