Cologne relegated, Dortmund set points record

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* Cologne relegated

* Hertha get playoff lifeline

* Champions Dortmund finish in style (adds Dortmund quotes, details)

"My team showed character and did not allow any doubts to rise," a beaming Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp told reporters after his team's 28th successive game without defeat, another Bundesliga best.

"Something extraordinary happened today and that is that we got 81 points, something that is unlikely to be equalled by another team any time soon," said Klopp.

It was a completely different atmosphere in Cologne with the team's fifth relegation coming in the last game for the club's favourite striker Lukas Podolski who is joining Arsenal.

"This is a bitter and dark day for us," said Cologne coach Frank Schaefer, who took over on an interim basis only weeks ago after the sacking of Stale Solbakken.

"It was a brutally unnecessary relegation. Not having been able to avoid the drop despite this strength, these fans, this power is bitter," said Schaefer, who said he would not remain head coach next season.

Third-placed Schalke 04 will join the top two in Europe's premier competition next season after their 3-2 win at Werder Bremen with the league's top scorer Klaas-Jan Huntelaar striking twice to take his tally to 29 goals.

Hertha's Anis Ben-Hatira scored twice in their 3-1 win over 10-man Hoffenheim, who had Ryan Babel sent off, and Raffael added another in stoppage time to spark wild celebrations at the Olympic stadium.

"The tension was more than 100 percent with my players but we grabbed this relegation playoff spot with passion and determination," said Hertha coach Otto Rehhagel, who took over late in the season to save the club from the drop.

Gladbach's top scorer Marco Reus was on target in his last appearance for the club before joining Dortmund.

Hanover 96 joined VfB Stuttgart in the Europa League thanks to Didier Ya Konan's 71st-minute winner against relegated Kaiserslautern.