Cult hero Ricken on Dortmund's 1997 triumph
Monday, May 20, 2013
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Much loved at Borussia Dortmund after scoring a memorable goal 20 seconds after coming off the bench in the 1997 UEFA Champions League final, Lars Ricken recalls that momentous night.
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Few players hold cult status in Dortmund quite like Lars Ricken, though come Saturday he may have to make room in the Borussia Dortmund pantheon, should the current crop of stars lift the UEFA Champions League trophy.
Ricken claimed a sizeable place in the club's rich history in 1997, when his instinctive strike 20 seconds after coming on as a substitute in Munich sealed a 3-1 triumph over Juventus as BVB became champions of Europe for the only time. "Destiny was on my side," said the former Germany international.
"I watched the first 70 minutes from the bench, and I noticed that [Angelo] Peruzzi was often standing too far from his goal. I came into the match with that in mind, thinking: 'Peruzzi is too far out of goal, Peruzzi is too far out of goal'."
That was the how the home-grown hero wrote himself in Dortmund folklore, and he is hoping the class of 2013 can repeat those feats against FC Bayern München at Wembley on Saturday.
To watch the full interview, click on the video player above.