BERLIN, May 22- Jurgen Klopp admits he may not be able to contain his emotions for his last home league game as Borussia Dortmund coach when he hosts Werder Bremen on Saturday.
“There will be a special atmosphere and I don’t know what will be going on inside me after the final if we win,” admitted the 47-year-old.
Klopp’s final game in charge is the German Cup final on May 30 against VfL Wolfsburg at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium having announced in April that he will leave at the end of the season.
But emotions promise to run high at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion when the vast majority of the sold-out 80,667-strong crowd farewell their hero.
Dortmund can finish in the top six with three points, providing Borussia Moechengladbach beat Augsburg, which would give them a Europa League berth under Klopp’s replacement Thomas Tuchel.
But likewise, a win for Bremen could put them in the Europa League next season, providing Wolfsburg beat Dortmund in the cup final the week after.
“Both teams have a huge chance and for us, the Europa League has been the most we could achieve for months,” said Klopp.
“We don’t feel any pressure, we just see a great opportunity.”
– No place for nostalgia –
It is also the last home game of ex-Germany international and former Dortmund captain Sebastian Kehl before retiring.
“It’s the last league game of the season and the last home match of Sebastian Kehl, who has played an incredibly important role for the club in recent years,” said Klopp.
“The question is: what role will nostalgia play compared to the here and now?
“I hope that we will manage to put on a really good ‘Dortmund’ display and run a real full-throttle event.”
In their six completed seasons under Klopp, Dortmund have never finished lower than sixth with the team currently seventh.
They won the 2011 and 2012 German league titles, then finished second to Bayern Munich for the last two years having lost to them in the 2013 Champions League final.
Having finished sixth in his first season in 2008/09, Klopp’s side can complete the circle by finishing in the same position this term.
Klopp admits it is a far cry from February when they were bottom of the table.
“It’s something I couldn’t even dream of back then,” he admitted.
“That was when I thought things could be really tight for us (to avoid relegation).
“You can’t imagine how grateful I am to be in this situation where we don’t have to experience the raging relegation battle first hand.
“For the last four or five weeks we have been able to change our perspective and busy ourselves with a bigger goal.”
Klopp says his task on Saturday will be to blend out any distractions until after the final whistle.
“Of course I’m going to miss the passionate support from the south stand,” he said.
“But my task is to not allow myself to go into this game with too much nostalgia.”
Klopp insists he will only think about his future plans at the end of the season.
He has been linked to several English clubs and Germany coach Joachim Loew does not expect him to be unemployed for long.
“I have great respect for his decision,” said Loew.
“He has continued to put 100 percent into the service of the club, the team and its players.
“That’s what he’s all about, he’s a trainer who gives his heart and soul.
“And for me, it’s clear that we will see him again soon.”
