Farewell to Zorc in Dortmund: Great love from the eternal Borussia – Sport

The eternal Borussia

There has been a loyalty award since 2015, awarded by Athletic Club de Bilbao. He calls himself the “One Club Award” and received it last week from Argentina’s Ricardo Bochini, world champion from 1986 and legend at CA Independiente de Avellaneda. Sepp Maier once received the award from Germany for loyal service to FC Bayern, and now you can set the clock to when it will be presented to Michael Zorc.

On Saturday, the Dortmunder said goodbye in the old Westfalenstadion, in the south stand of which the 59-year-old himself had stood half a century ago before becoming captain of the first team, which showcases Borussia with a championship trophy, a DFB cup, a Champions League trophy and a World Cup before finally ending up in the VIP box as manager, playing his part in three league titles and three cup wins.

“I was scared of that day,” Zorc confessed: Love can overwhelm, shame, make you helpless, no matter how much outsiders may think you deserve it. Zorc cried before the game, and not only when he bowed before the curve, which presented him with a monumental choreography consisting of only four letters, and everything said: Zorc. And not just when President Hans-Joachim Watzke spoke unctuous words. Later, after the game, he, who is, was and will always be meat from the meat of Borussia, dared to go to the microphone and addressed the south stand. The best thing was the trips to Borsigplatz, “looking into your eyes the day after success”https://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/. “Only BVB!” he exclaimed, the one-club man -Award winner-to-be, who may have been in the service of Borussia for 44 years, but experienced a day when he was flooded with indestructible, eternal love.

King of the factory club

Bayer Leverkusen has been in the Bundesliga for so long now (43 years without a break, which only FC Bayern and BVB can claim for this period of time) that the Werkself are courageous not to be described as a traditional club. Nevertheless, the club finds it difficult to deal with its legends. Does anyone remember the farewell to Reiner Calmund, who once made the club great? Exactly, there wasn’t one. And suddenly the club no longer wanted to know anything about Calmund’s sometimes borderline business ideas. On Saturday Rudi Völler – who was transferred from Calmund to Leverkusen in 1994 – experienced his last day as Bayer 04 managing director. Everyone loves the cosmopolitan from Hanau, even opposing fans and officials pay homage to him, they also stood in line on Saturday, which was particularly warm Hug with Christian Streich, who later crowned the freshest laurels: “It’s nice that I was allowed to be there when he said goodbye,” Freiburg’s coach later reveled, “Rudi is just an incredibly cool coach.”

It also continued to be promising, because the fans rolled out banners on which eight of the approximately 8,000 quotable one- to three-liners of the former professional and national coach stood, for example: “Ultimately, rules are there to be broken.” Then, however, followed the official part of the ceremony, and this could hardly be beaten in terms of crap, including the recording of the hit song “There is only one Rudi Völler”, which Völler himself did not particularly appreciate. Another strangely messed-up program item followed at halftime, something with a yellow boat and chocolate, Völler was even given a captain’s hat. After these elements to make others feel ashamed, everyone was happy that football took over and gave the celebrated a farewell victory in the seventh minute of added time.

After the final whistle, Rudi Völler’s afternoon found a conciliatory final volt: a lap of honor with the players and an extended stay in the curve, where the 65-year-old climbed up to the fans and acted as the wren for the first time (“Humba humba tätärä”) , not quite sure of the lyrics and melody, but warm. Then the captain from Leverkusen disembarked. Luckily without a hat.

Five minutes of hope

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It was just after 5 p.m. on Saturday when it got really loud in the guest block. There was no goal at all in Leverkusen – Bayer 04 led 1-0 – but they did in East Westphalia. When it became known that the designated relegated Arminia Bielefeld led the 1-0 win against fourth-placed Leipzig, everyone in Freiburg knew that SC could still end up in the Champions League: with a win in Leverkusen. Freiburg hung in even more, scored 1-1; and Bayer, who had missed the decision several times, wobbled alarmingly. The visitors’ block trembled – and even if in the end a seemingly normal 2:1 (0:0) for the factory club was on the list, the game had delivered one of the wildest final phases of this season.

“The boys threw everything in again,” praised guest coach Christian Streich in a hoarse voice, because he threw everything in his coaching zone himself. The interim result from Bielefeld “given energy again”, the changes also provided a breath of fresh air. But it wasn’t enough. “I didn’t know anything about the Leipzig equalizer on the Alm,” said Streich.

But he didn’t want to let the season be badmouthed: “It annoys me that someone passed us, but I’m glad that we’re in the Europa League. If someone had said that before the season, I would have said, he’s crazy. I see some big-name teams behind us.” That’s true, but shortly after Easter, as is well known, the world in Freiburg looked even rosier. For the first time since January, the SC had crawled back into a Champions League spot, despite all the pranks. However, the surprising 4-1 draw at home against Union Berlin followed on Matchday 33, and after conceding ten goals in three Bundesliga games, Freiburg – a week before the final cup duel with new intimate enemy RB Leipzig – was primarily concerned with to be better on the defensive.

“And then you score the equalizer and you’re just one goal away from the Champions League…” said Streich, while apparently mourning a Lienhart header. “And then you lose because the goalkeeper dares everything” – and Leverkusen’s Palacios hit the empty goal from the middle line over keeper Mark Flekken (90+7). Fifth or sixth in the table, that’s an important point for a club like Freiburg because of the TV money, which lost six points to Union Berlin in the last two matchdays and may never come that close to the Champions League again.

The next break

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They are somewhat used to farewells at Union; there has been a so-called upheaval every year. Also before and during this season, among others, vice-captain Marvin Friedrich (Mönchengladbach) and Max Kruse (VfL Wolfsburg) went in winter. Their farewells were followed by only five defeats, one draw and just one win. Once the team accepted that they could do without Kruse, they managed to aim for Europa League qualification; on Sunday this was achieved by beating VfL Bochum 3:2.

“I can tell you the mood: you have to pinch yourself to believe it,” said manager Oliver Ruhnert, who has to moderate the next upheaval. A number of supplementary players were dismissed, goalgetter Taiwo Awoniyi is considered a replacement candidate, and Grischa Prömel has already said goodbye. He signed for a second division club five years ago and is now leaving a team that has made it back to Europe. Prömel is going to Hoffenheim and is already asking for days off – if Union should get “a great deal” in the Europa League, he would like to watch.