The hopes of winning the Bundesliga for the first time in 11 years slipped away from the Ruhr team, and they have no one to blame but themselves for squandering their best opportunities.
The disappointment was palpable as the Dortmund players collapsed on the pitch after drawing 2-2 against Mainz 05. Sebastien Haller, who had overcome cancer, couldn't conquer the immense psychological pressure of facing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. His teammates at Dortmund shared a similar fate, as the weight of the psychological pressure once again proved too much, causing them to stumble at the threshold of glory.
One haunting moment defined the match - the penalty in the 18th minute. When Haller successfully converted it, leveling the score at 1-1 against Mainz 05 in the 34th round of the Bundesliga, Dortmund fans wondered if their team would regain their spirit and mount a successful comeback. However, reality dealt a devastating blow as the final whistle blew, leaving the players in tears. Niklas Sule's late equalizer to make it 2-2 only deepened the sense of regret among Dortmund fans. The 81,365 spectators present at Signal Iduna Park were left stunned, while tens of thousands of other fans gathered outside the stadium, ready to celebrate what they thought would be a victorious occasion.
A day before the match, Dortmund's sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, half-jokingly claimed that the club had sold "half a million tickets." For many Dortmund fans, the 2022/23 Bundesliga season presented a rare opportunity to witness their team become German champions. Bayern Munich's decade-long dominance of the league had cast a shadow of uncertainty over when their reign would end.
The leadership of the Bavarian club had sacked Julian Nagelsmann in March, and his successor, Thomas Tuchel, had experienced a few setbacks in the Bundesliga. It seemed like a gift to Dortmund, a chance to seize the silver plate. For many Dortmund players, this opportunity to come so close to the Bundesliga title might only come once in a lifetime, unless they choose to join Bayern.
Mats Hummels, the sole remaining player from Dortmund's last Bundesliga-winning squad in the 2011/12 season, couldn't single-handedly revive the team spirit when Mainz 05 took a two-goal lead. Tuchel's former team, lacking much motivation for the season, still made Dortmund's path excruciatingly difficult.
Losing the Bundesliga title this season feels like a tragedy for Dortmund. It validates the concerns and even disparagement about the club's ability to seize crucial moments. The missed opportunities have left Dortmund and their fans with a bitter taste, reminding them that success in football is never guaranteed and must be fought for relentlessly.
