Kehl has no regrets over time at Dortmund

As Sebastian Kehl prepares for his retirement and farewell at Borussia Dortmund, the midfielder says he has no regrets over opting not to join Bayern Munich earlier in his career.

Kehl moved to Dortmund from Freiburg in 2001, and has picked up three Bundesliga titles and a DFB-Pokal in the intervening period.

Saturday’s game at home to Werder Bremen marks his last appearance before retiring, as the 35-year-old calls time on a career that has been plagued by injuries in recent years.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Kehl was asked whether he regretted not moving to Bayern amid their interest back in 2002.

“Well, nobody knows how it eventually would have wound up had I gone to Bayern back then,” he said. “With hindsight I am really thankful for my time at Dortmund.

“To be part of this whole development with winning the title, then become almost bankrupt and then at the end with the double – that’s a really exciting development.

“And in the end, it’s these special moments that you will never forget as a player. To celebrate three championships with Borussia Dortmund is something really special.

Saturday will also see Dortmund fans bid farewell to manager Jurgen Klopp, who guided the club to two titles, the 2012 Pokal win and the UEFA Champions League final back in 2013 during his seven-year spell.

“It certainly will be an emotional moment on Saturday for Jurgen as well,” Kehl added. “I know how much the people here have grown to love him over the last seven years so it hopefully will be a great day for the both of us.

“I hope that we’ll be able to reach our sporting goal and qualify for Europe next season, so we can all celebrate together. This would be crucial in order to enjoy the day in a relaxed way. So let’s just see what happens.”