The Berlin showpiece will once again be followed by a farewell. Last year, it was Jürgen Klopp who said his goodbyes at the Olympiastadion as his spell at Borussia Dortmund came to an end. This year, it will be Pep Guardiola who follows Klopp to the Premier League. The new Liverpool manager was not able to clinch the DFB Cup title on his farewell, and with Guardiola facing Klopp's former side BVB, there is a sense that we've come full circle with this heavily anticipated match-up.
The 73rd DFB Cup final on Saturday at 20:00 CEST will be Guardiola's last competitive game in charge of FC Bayern. It's the game between the champions and the runners-up - the German Clasico. How fitting, as Guardiola won his first DFB Cup in his maiden season with Bayern against Dortmund back in 2014. "Two years ago, I felt how special the atmosphere is in this final. It's crazy. Now I have another chance to experience it," said Guardiola during Friday's pre-match press conference. It's a "special game" for Guardiola because it's the DFB Cup final and not because it's his final game with FCB. "It's a final and that's all I’m thinking about," said the Spaniard, who will take over the reins at Manchester City next season.
Tuchel: "Meetings with Guardiola are an inspiration"
Despite being competitors at the highest level of their trade, BVB manager Thomas Tuchel also expressed his sorrow for the impending departure of his counterpart at FC Bayern. "Of course I will miss it. Pep is someone who constantly pushes you to your maximum and makes you question yourself. Games against his teams are a huge challenge and meetings with him are a great inspiration," praised Tuchel, who is looking to claim his first title. "It's a different feeling to be here now compared with the times before," explained Tuchel. "It's something special. You can tell the difference of coming here for a Bundesliga game or for a DFB Cup final," agreed 16-time Germany international Marcel Schmelzer.
Despite the fact that both teams have found themselves in DFB Cup finals plenty of times before, there is a sense that this will be a truly special encounter. It's the fourth time Bayern and Dortmund have faced each other in the DFB Cup final - more often than any other match-up. Both teams have reached the final four times in the last five years. The record cup winners are playing against their record opponents. "It's something special," said World Champion Jerome Boateng. "And it even takes place in my hometown."
Grindel: "DFB Cup is the most successful cup competition in Europe"
Millions of viewers across 189 countries will tune in on Saturday evening when the 73rd cup final kicks off. 74,322 spectators will be inside Berlin's Olympiastadion, while more than 300,000 supporters are expected to be in Berlin. "The DFB Cup is the most successful cup competition of Europe's football associations," claimed DFB president Reinhard Grindel. It's a success story that will unveil a next chapter on Saturday night, with both managers looking for their own happy end.
"Our wishes are not fulfilled by reaching this final. We still have a few percent left. We have the highest expectations of ourselves," said Tuchel, who will have to find a replacement Germany international Ilkay Gündogan. Guardiola will be without World Champion Mario Götze, who is sidelined with a broken rib. "Every player is downhearted when they get sidelined for a final or injured for a longer period of time. It's a big shame for him," said Boateng. "However, we still want to put in a successful performance."
Tuchel is "greatly anticipating" his, for the time being, final encounter with Guardiola. "Games against Pep's teams are a huge challenge. He is the best. But facing the best opposition possible also makes you better yourself." The Dortmund manager recalled a time when he was just a spectator himself and not one of the major players during a cup final. "I came back from a kickabout wearing dirty clothes, holding a ball under my arm and sitting on the couch." It’s a feeling that Tuchel will never experience again. He himself will now be centre stage when football history is written.
