'Fascinating' Dortmund take plaudits for title
Reuters - Sunday 22 April 2012, 09:12
Borussia Dortmund were heralded
as a "fascinating" team on Sunday after clinching their second
successive Bundesliga title, keeping them on course for a
domestic double.
Dortmund won the title with two matches to spare after
beating Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 on Saturday, setting a
league record after going 26 straight games without defeat.
They will complete a sparkling season next month if they
beat Bayern Munich in the German Cup final in Berlin.
"Dortmund are worthy champions because the team has this
commitment that fascinates even neutral observers. After winning
the title in 2011 you never had the impression that they would
take it a bit easier," said German football association (DFB)
president Wolfgang Niersbach.
Dortmund, whose last defeat was back in September, also
produced a near perfect second part to the season, winning 13
and drawing two in 15 games.
Thousands of fans poured onto the streets of the Ruhr valley
city on Saturday to celebrate their title, honking car horns and
spraying beer.
"I am very impressed by the unity of Borussia," Germany
coach Joachim Low told reporters.
"Between coach team, officials and fans there is such a
strong bond. The team played in this season with great intensity
and will and were very consistent especially in the second half
of the season."
"It is impressive how this young team won the title for the
second straight time."
Dortmund, who have the second highest attendance in Europe
with 80,000 fans per game behind Barcelona, refused to buckle in
the title race, despite trailing Bayern at the halfway mark.
"It is their particular strength to get points against their
biggest Bundesliga rivals," said Germany manager Oliver Bierhoff
after Dortmund beat Bayern, third-placed Schalke 04 and
Gladbach, in fourth, in consecutive league games in the last
weeks.
Bayern also paid tribute to Dortmund.
"Dortmund played a very good season, they showed class and
consistency and are deserved 2012 German champions," said Bayern
CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in a statement.
"Bayern congratulates the team, the coach and the Borussia
Dortmund officials for their title victory."
Low has at times been criticised for making limited use of
Dortmund players in the past two years but he told Bild
newspaper on Sunday this could change for the Euro 2012 this
summer.
"There will surely be more than just [defender] Mats Hummels
and [playmaker] Mario Gotze. I also do not rule out that there
are even more Dortmund players in the starting XI."
Dortmund players Kevin Grosskreutz, Marcel Schmelzer, Sven
Bender and Ilkay Guendogan - who have already won international
caps - are in the running for a spot on Germany's Euro squad.