The German media have been more awed than heartbroken by the spectacular match between Liverpool and Dortmund: “4:3! King Klopp makes Dortmund cry”, says the front-page headline on the bestselling tabloid Bild.
“Football was invented for nights like these. With the last kick of the game, Liverpool wrestled down Dortmund in a wonderful thriller. There may never be another match like this,” writes the paper.
Friday's Bild front page via @tanit:
— Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) April 14, 2016
4:3! King Klopp makes Dortmund cry#tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/NzZb7PF188
Spiegel Online, too, was taken in by the atmosphere at Anfield: “It can come across a bit strange when footballers evoke magical powers and make it seem as if not their own mistakes but supernatural powers had brought about a defeat.
“But among the football-faith community the legendary Anfield Road stadium is not considered a sacred site for nothing, and on this memorable night everyone felt what mighty magic can be summoned here.”
Describing the match as “a classic in the illustrious history of these two clubs for years to come”, the commentator Daniel Theweleit also believed that the atmosphere at Anfield put Dortmund’s own famed fan culture into the shade: “Even those who have watched the club for centuries agreed that Dortmund has never achieved this kind of intensity.”
Munich-based Süddeutsche Zeitung found satisfaction in seeing the German coach Jürgen Klopp exporting his magic touch across the Channel. “In Liverpool Klopp has managed to make his special energy rub off on his team, this absolute conviction that willpower can move mountains as long as it is strong enough.
“He managed to create such special moments in Dortmund too, for example with the unforgettable 3-2 against Málaga. Klopp knows exactly when movements and tactics don’t matter anymore because other things have become more important.”
