Outgoing Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp was determined not to allow his impending departure impact on his disappointment at losing the DFB-Pokal final to Wolfsburg on Saturday..
A stunning volley from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw Dortmund take the lead after just six minutes in Berlin, before Wolfsburg emphatically responded with goals from Luiz Gustavo, Kevin De Bruyne and Bas Dost, denying Klopp a fairytale end to his seven-year reign at Signal Iduna Park.
The former Mainz boss was visibly dejected at full-time but insisted his players did deserve some credit.
He told reporters: "I know everyone wants to know about how I feel, but if I start with that, then the tears come. We lost a game and I cannot make as if I am the most important person in the world.
"It is a huge disappointment. We played a good game and our pace actually persevered for the whole game. But there were silly goals.
"During the break, I had a feeling that we had to grab it and told the boys we could still provide a spectacle. But overall we didn't have a lot of luck."
Klopp was particularly keen on defending the performance of Australian goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak, who was preferred ahead of Roman Weidenfeller and could not keep hold of Naldo's 30-yard strike, allowing Gustavo to slot home Wolfsburg's opener.
"Naldo has a shot like a horse, that's difficult to hold on to," he added. "I've seen no mistake.
"Congratulations to Wolfsburg. Life goes on."
Klopp's future remains unclear, with various reports linking him with jobs across Europe.
"The departure is starting to be painful now," he concluded. "Now there won't be a cup party, just a farewell party."
‘After Manchester City’s recent form, maybe they’re the underdogs against Manchester United!’ Former Red Devils defender on this weekend’s derby
‘Arteta, Alonso, Emery, me… none of us were physical players – we needed the understanding of the game. That probably helped us move into management’: Premier League boss reveals reasons for natural career progression
