Football
9y

Sebastian Kehl hailed by Jurgen Klopp after netting Dortmund winner

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp heaped praise on veteran midfielder Sebastian Kehl following his 107th-minute winner in the 3-2 DFB-Pokal quarterfinal victory against Hoffenheim.

Dortmund and Hoffenheim were tied at 2-2 in the second half of extra time on Tuesday night when Kehl, 35, fired home from 28 metres with his left foot, sending his side into the last four of the competition for the third time in four seasons.

It was the midfielder's first DFB-Pokal goal for a club he has been at since January 2002 and came during his last season as a professional footballer.

Speaking to ARD TV after the match, Klopp said he was delighted for the player.

"Sebastian's was a clearance into the goal," he said. "You can't be more of a BVB player than 'Kehli.' And in Dortmund you remain that for the rest of your life. To throw in a goal like that was pretty cool. Put that goal on one more time, will you?"

Klopp added in his postmatch news conference: "I didn't know he was capable of that. It's brilliant that he gets to be the hero of the day."

Kehl announced last summer that he is to hang up his boots at the end of the current season, while passing on the captaincy to Mats Hummels.

While there has been speculation that Dortmund might convince Kehl to delay his retirement, he is focusing on finishing the campaign on a high by returning to Berlin for the DFB-Pokal final for a fourth time, having previously played there in 2008, 2012 and 2014.

"It was wicked," Kehl said of his strike. "I can actually hit a dropping ball pretty well. But I was a bit lucky that the ball flew like that and then hit the inside of the post. I still dream of making it to the final in Berlin once again."

Dortmund centre-back Neven Subotic added: "It might be his last season, but he's a far from being a football pensioner. He has shown once again that he's incredibly important for us."

^ Back to Top ^