Love is in the air for Ibrahimovic & Klopp

The strong bond between Jurgen Klopp and Zlatan Ibrahimovic continues as the Dortmund boss claims he adores the striker's "antics".

The Paris Saint-Germain forward had previously joked to Klopp at the Ballon d'Or ceremony that he would join the German club for free, although the Dortmund coach concedes, in reality, such a transfer is unlikely to happen.

"I like it, I love his antics, he is an extraordinary player. However, there is no option of recruiting a player of that level," Klopp told DPA.

"He told me that I should let everyone at Dortmund know that he enjoys watching us play football.

"There were years in which he probably did not even know there was a football club in Dortmund. Now he knows and likes us - that says it all."

Friday, 17 January 2014 12:00

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Happy New Year from Goal!

It's the end of the calendar year and spirits are in the sky... footballers and managers across the world have much to reflect on - and look forward to - as we head into 2014.

It's been a great year for Pep Guardiola, who took over from Jupp Heynckes at the helm of treble winners Bayern Munich, while Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery fight it out for the Balon d'Or. Gareth Bale got his big-money move to Real Madrid, though it's time for Sir Alex Ferguson and David Beckham to leavethe party.

Jurgen Klopp is left to drown his sorrows after losing the Champions League final and dropping out of the Bundesliga title race, Jose Mourinho is back with Chelsea, Arsene Wenger is top of the pile and Luis Suarez is in and out of the dog house.

All that's left to say is Happy New Year to all our readers!

Tuesday, December 31, 2013 11:30

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Bayern on top of the World

Bayern Munich brought their sensational 2013 to a spectacular end with victory at the Club World Cup on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola's side, who won the Bundesliga and Champions League last season, beat Raja Casablanca 2-0 in the final of the competition in Marrakesh.

Bayern wasted no time in establishing a hold on the game, scoring in the seventh minute through defender Dante, before Thiago Alcantara found the back of the net shortly after.

The victory leaves Bayern boasting an impressive trophy haul as the New Year approaches, and having shot to the top of the table in Germany heading into the winter break, there could be plenty more to come for Guardiola and Co.

Sunday, December 22, 2013 12:00

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Higuain in tears as Napoli miss out on last 16

Napoli agonisingly missed out on a place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Despite beating Arsenal 2-0 with goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon, the Italian side were eliminated after Borussia Dortmund defeated Marseille, meaning the Bundesliga outfit progressed top of Group F, with the Gunners finishing second by virtue of a superior goal difference.

And it was all too much for goal scorer Higuain, who could not hide is disappointment after the game.

"Not going through is incredible," he said. "It is an injustice, really.

"Going out with 12 points – winning four games in such an immensely difficult group with two sides as strong as Arsenal and Dortmund - when you see teams going through with only one or two wins, with six or seven points, it's disappointing.

"It cannot be anything else but bad luck because to win four games out of six and be eliminated is not something that happens often."

Thursday, December 12, 2013 12:00

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Klopp, Wenger & Benitez struggle with Group of Death permutations

The final round of group fixtures in Champions League Group F sees Arsenal, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund all still in with a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.

Arsene Wenger’s men lead the way with 12 points following their 2-0 defeat of Marseille and travel to Italy in their final game to take on Rafael Benitez’s Napoli.

Dortmund lie second on nine points, and face Marseille, yet to score a single point, in their fixture making them heavy favourites to progress.

Yet Napoli also have nine points and know that a three-goal victory over Arsenal will also send them through with a nerve-jangling night of action in prospect.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 09:29

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Gotze leaves jilted bride Klopp in tears

After leaving Borussia Dortmund for Bundesliga title rivals Bayern Munich in the summer, it was almost inevitable that the Germany international would eventually come back to haunt his old club.

And, just over four months after moving the the Allianz Arena, Gotze made a telling contribution on his return to Signal-Iduna Park.

The 21-year-old came off the bench to a chorus of boos and broke the deadlock shortly after, firing past Roman Weidenfeller.

Bayern completed a 3-0 win thanks to Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben, but it was Gotze who Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp believed to have changed the game.

"I do not care how badly we lost," he said. "The second and the third goal do not represent this match.

"Bayern played differently. They played many long balls and they were very patient. We had the bigger chances until the 1-0 and we had a huge chance for the 1-1.

"But you have to convert these chances. After the second goal you could see the team had a crack. I don't care about the third goal."

Sunday, November 24, 2013 12:30

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Arsenal rock Dortmund & hit the perfect note

It had been billed as the clash between Jurgen Klopp's heavy metal brand of football and Arsene Wenger's orchestra but when it was all said and done only one team was left singing the blues.

Aaron Ramsey's 11th goal of a superb campaign gave the Gunners a marvellous 1-0 win at Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday night, pushing Arsene Wenger's side to the summit of their Champions League group.

Thursday, November 7, 2013 11:01

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Jurgen's Kloppstars host Wenger's orchestra

Borussia Dortmund host Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday night with both sides looking to gain an advantage in a hugely competitive group.

But will the 80,000 supporters in the Signal Iduna Park be taking in a football match or a battle of the bands?

Jurgen Klopp compared the two club's contrasting styles as he spoke about Wenger. "He likes having the ball, playing football, passes... it’s like an orchestra," Klopp said, miming playing a violin.

"But it is a silent song. I like heavy metal more. I always want it loud."

No matter the football on show, one thing you can be certain of in a raucous Westfalenstadion is noise.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 10:34

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Wenger set for Champions League scrap

After watching his team ease through their Champions League play-off tie against Fenerbahce, Arsene Wenger will now be reacquainted with the edgier side of Europe's elite competition.

In order to reach the round of 16, Arsenal will have to navigate their way past three tricky opponents in Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Marseille.

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Lewandowski trapped as Dortmund refuse to budge

 

Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski’s future remains the topic of fierce speculation as BVB attempt to hold onto the Poland international.

The 24-year-old enjoyed a stellar season last time out scoring 36 times in all competitions for Dortmund to become one of Europe’s hottest properties.

Dortmund have recently insisted they will not allow the striker to move to Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich this summer, although they have stopped short of ruling out at summer exit entirely.

Real Madrid, Manchester City and Manchester United have all been linked with Lewandowski but for the moment at least, the striker seems to be going nowhere.
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Can Dortmund stop the Bayern Munich juggernaut?

 

The Champions League final at Wembley Stadium is just a day away, and the big question is: can Borussia Dortmund stop the Bayern Munich juggernaut?

Jupp Heynckes' side has been simply unstoppable this season, romping to the Bundesliga title with a record points tally, booking a place in the DFB Pokal final against Stuttgart and demolishing the mighty Barcelona over two legs on their way to the final.

Dortmund, meanwhile, surprised many by negotiating their way out of a group featuring Manchester City, Ajax and Real Madrid, before eliminating the Spanish giants in the knockout stages.

Jurgen Klopp's men finished a staggering 24 points behind Bayern in second place in the league, but both domestic meetings between the two have ended as 1-1 draws.

Can Klopp mastermind a victory over the German powerhouse, even without the injured Mario Gotze? 
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Bayern & Dortmund given licence to thrill

 

There are only three days until the Champions League final, with two excellent German teams ready to take the field in London.

With Bayern's buying up of star players - including Dortmund's main-man Mario Gotze - one could be forgiven for seeing the Bundesliga champions as some sort of supervillain.

Will Dortmund, led by "Klopp... Jurgen Klopp..." be ready to shoot down Jupp Henyckes' side? Or, after being defeated in the final in two of the previous three years, is it a case of 'You Only Lose Twice' for Bayern?

One thing is for sure: both teams have a licence to thrill! 
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Heynckes and Klopp play Guess Who

 

Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich faced off in a Bundesliga dead rubber on Saturday afternoon in a dress rehearsal for the Champions League final later this month.

But both BVB boss Jurgen Klopp and die Roten manager Jupp Heynckes played around with their team selections, carefully avoiding giving too much away ahead of their European encounter.

Star players such as Mats Hummels, Lukasz Piszczek, Marco Reus and Sven Bender were rested for the home side, while Bayern made eight changes from the team that beat Barcelona in midweek.

And so with both managers keeping their cards extremely close to their chest, who knows how the teams will line up at Wembley... 

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Madrid need Ronaldo magic to keep Champions League dream alive

 

After a whirlwind 4-1 pasting from Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, Real Madrid are on the ropes.

Their dream of 'La Decima' needs a miracle to be revived and Jose Mourinho will be turning to his talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo, for inspiration as the Santiago Bernabeu hosts the crucial return fixture.

Will the Portuguese be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat or will BVB make Madrid's trophy hopes disappear? 
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Robin Hood Lewandowski makes mockery of Madrid

 

Robbing from the rich to give to the poor. That's what Jurgen Klopp said his side were doing after their thrilling 4-1 demolition of Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.

It has been a trying couple of days for Klopp after the news broke of Mario Gotze's impending move to fierce rivals Bayern Munich, but in Robert Lewandowski, the Borussia manager truly has an astonishing marksman.

The Polish striker took down Jose Mourinho and his side with ruthless finishing as he bagged all four goals for the hosts in front of a rapturous Dortmund crowd. 
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Dortmund - Malaga given Hollywood finale

 

In one of the most enthralling endings to a Champions League tie, Dortmund secured a place in the semi-finals after two injury-time strikes saw off Malaga.

Joaquin and a superb Robert Lewandowski effort set up a tense second half but it was the Spanish club who looked set for a semi-final spot after Eliseu struck in the 82nd minute.

But there was more to come from the match as Marco Reus netted in the 91st minute before Felipe Santana popped up with the decisive goal just moments before the final whistle.

"Up until now, our story has been like a Hollywood movie - hopefully it will have a Hollywood ending," Dortmund defender Neven Subotic told Uefa.

"This is the craziest moment in all of my footballing career. It has been a special match for everybody - for us and the fans." 
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Nuri Sahin runs back to Borussia Dortmund after Liverpool nightmare

 

Nuri Sahin had been expected to spend an entire season at Liverpool, on loan from Spanish giants Real Madrid.

But, after a disappointing start and entirely forgettably spell, the Turkey international has cut his Anfield stay short.

Sahin is not bound for Madrid, though. The midfielder is on his way back to his former club Borussia Dortmund, to be reuinited with Jurgen Klopp, who has watched his once star player toil since leaving Germany.

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Mancini & Mourinho to do battle in Group of Death

 

Manchester City will face Real Madrid in this season's Champions League "Group of Death" that also contains the champions from Holland and Germany.

Roberto Mancini's men were drawn in Group D alongside Jose Mourinho's La Liga winners in Monaco yesterday, along with Eredivisie champions Ajax and Bundesliga holders Borussia Dortmund.

City will be cursing their luck, especially after being drawn in the least enviable group in last season's tournament, playing Napoli, Villarreal and eventual runners-up Bayern Munich before finishing third.

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John W. Henry left scratching his head

 

They must have thought it would be easy to fill the void left by the recently-sacked Kenny Dalglish in the Anfield dugout, yet so far Liverpool's managerial targets have been dropping like flies.

Ajax boss Frank de Boer has become the latest boss to rule himself out of a switch to the Reds, joining Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Brendan Rodgers in saying 'thanks, but no thanks' to club owner's FSG.

Now, John W. Henry is set to choose between Roberto Martinez and Andre Villas-Boas to take the hot seat, or opt for a blast from the past with Rafa Benitez.

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Humble pie

 

With Borussia Dortmund on the brink of claiming their second successive Bundesliga title, Jurgen Klopp has been vocal in stating that Bayern Munich should recognise the achievements of their rivals.

The Bavarian giants, and especially president Uli Hoeness, have been critical of the Signal Iduna Park side in the past and the relationship between the two clubs is now more strained than ever.

However, with BVB on the verge of defending their title, the Bayern Munich president may have to follow Klopp's advice and finally "take off his hat to BVB's performances"...

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