'No happy ending' for Dortmund after close title race with Bayern
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Dortmund had led the standings by two points but were struck by a painful 2-2 draw against Mainz at home.
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Borussia Dortmund's Anthony Modeste, Emre Can, Sebastien Haller, Youssoufa Moukoko and Raphael Guerreiro look dejected after the match in Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany, on May 27, 2023 (Reuters)
Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic considered that there would be "no happy ending" after his team failed to win the domestic league championship, granting Bayern Munich their 11th Bundesliga in a row.
Before the league's last round, Dortmund led the standings by two points but were struck by a painful 2-2 draw against Mainz at home, leaving Bayern, who beat Koln 2-1 in a dramatic match, to become first and win the title championship on goal difference.
After the final whistle, Terzic was spotted in tears in front of the club's famed yellow wall, as supporters chanted his name.
"You can see how hard and how tough this sport that we fell in love with can be," he said, adding, "It hurts extremely -- there will be no happy ending for us this year."
Celebrating his 12th Bundesliga title, Bayern captain Thomas Mueller expressed sympathy with his team's rivals.
"I'm not apologizing for becoming champions and we're happy about that, but when you think of the others, then I feel a bit sorry," Mueller said.
He continued, "Even if they don't want or need to hear it. I'm not trying to present myself as big hearted or anything, but it's tough."
"Congratulations to Bayern because this is the most honest title, being top after 34 matches," Terzic said.
"Forgive me because it is not easy to give an analysis today but I think that not only the team, but the stadium and the city believed it."
Captain Mats Hummels, the only member of the team to have witnessed a title win with Dortmund, indicated that "the next days will be brutal."
"It's going to be difficult to digest. It will take more than a few days."
"We gave everything as a team but it wasn't to be," Dortmund midfielder Emre Can said, adding, "We wanted it but in the end we didn't make it."
Dortmund topped the standings four times this season, but each time they would slip points, allowing Bayern to reclaim the top spot.
