Dortmund fans rally behind coach in tearful display after losing Bundesliga title; Watch

In an extraordinary show of solidarity, Borussia Dortmund supporters untied to offer unwavering support to the team, who missed out on a Bundesliga 2022-23 title. Dortmund’s 2-2 draw against Mainz, coupled with Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win over Koln meant Bayern won their record-extending 11th consecutive Bundesliga title. As Dortmund fell short of the title, one of the most famous crowds in world soccer fell quiet on Saturday night.

The atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park resembled that of a funeral, with coach Edin Terzic shedding tears as he approached the fans. As reported by AP, the only player remaining from Dortmund’s last title-winning side in 2012, defender Mats Hummels said, “It’s brutally disappointing. We had it in our own hands, we had it in our hands after our great second half to the season, but today we should have closed the deal and we didn’t do that. That’s down to us alone. ... The next days will be brutal.”

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"Tomorrow we’ll be 34 rounds away again"

Meanwhile, speaking after the match coach Edin Terzić said, “We were one round away before this game, we were 90 minutes from bringing the trophy back to Dortmund. In the end we were one goal away. And that’s very close. Tomorrow we’ll be 34 rounds away again, and then we’ll work on it, we’ll stand up. From July we’ll invest everything again to do it better than we did this year. ... Now it’s about simply using the next 34 rounds to finally manage it.”

The day kicked off with Borussia Dortmund leading the Bundesliga standings with a two-point advantage over Bayern. However, a nervous start to the game saw Mainz scoring first and doubling the lead after Sebastien Haller missed a penalty. The striker astonishingly returned mid-season from cancer treatment to power Dortmund’s challenge for the title.

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Eventually, they gathered in a line in front of the Yellow Wall to pay the customary tribute in German soccer to the fans. Amidst the overall tranquility, a solitary beverage cup was tossed towards the departing Mainz players, narrowly missing its target and instead splashing against the roof of the dugout. The authorities in Dortmund confirmed that both the events within the stadium and throughout the city unfolded in an overwhelmingly peaceful manner.