Jurgen Klopp told me Dortmund won the Bundesliga because I was in the team: Shinji Kagawa

Shinji Kagawa was part of the Borussia Dortmund squad that put an end to Bayern Munich’s dominance in the Bundesliga by winning the German league in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 season. In a recent interview, the former Japan international captain spoke about his time in Germany and his short stint in the Premier League with Manchester United.

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Shinji Kagawa heaps praise on former Borussia Dortmund coach - Jurgen Klopp

Shinji Kagawa spent two highly fruitful seasons at Borussia Dortmund under German coach Jurgen Klopp. The Japanese midfielder was brought in from Cerezo Osaka for a modest sum. He quickly caught the eye of Klopp who deployed him as an attacking midfielder in the former's first two Bundesliga seasons. The former Dortmund starlet revealed that it was Jurgen Klopp who pushed him to take up a role at Real Zaragoza in the Spanish second division. Kagawa told Goal.com, “Jurgen Klopp said I wasn't playing enough games for Dortmund in the Bundesliga, even though I told him I was OK. He knew me well, so maybe he knew that I was not OK. He told me that my style would be suited for Spain – I told him that I'd always wanted to play there.”

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The Japan international, who departed Dortmund for Manchester United in 2012, further went on to add that Jurgen Klopp singled him out for praise after their Bundesliga triumph in the 2010-11 season. Shinji Kagawa was quoted as saying, “He told me that Dortmund became champions of Germany because I had played for them. Of course, there were other players, but that really lifted my confidence. 'You don't need to worry,' he told me. I didn't worry. Those words made me happy, I'll never forget that moment.”

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