On the rivalry of Der Klassiker…
“This is a very special game. There are many examples of when the emotional heat has boiled over between players and between officials. The rivalry has written so many different stories.
“When you play Dortmund you know that there are 80,000 fans waiting for you and you have that Yellow Wall there with 28,000 who cannot wait for the game to start. It is the same now in Munich too with the Allianz Arena.
“Unfortunately, when I was there, we played in the old Olympic Stadium with the track around it. Even if there were 75,000 in there it was not the same feeling that you have now in a specialist football stadium.
“Both teams have these fantastic stadiums and that is what you want as a player – you want to experience these games and give it a go. I am sure there will be some kind of drama between players on Saturday, some argument or fight or whatever. It is going to be a special occasion, for sure.
“The rivalry will always fascinate every football fan in Germany. It is the game to watch. Everybody is hoping that Borussia Dortmund can do something in that outsider role because they know they are capable of beating them.
“But there is this huge respect for Bayern Munich whether you like them or don’t like them because they have earned that respect.”
