For Bayern, this will be the start of a treble (the other two is the UEFA Cup and the Bundesliga title…which they are on the verge of winning it anyway) the club has been aiming for. Especially given coach Ottmar Hitzfeld will be coaching Switzerland after Euro 2008. For him, this means he will be able to leave Bayern Munich on a high.

For Borussia Dortmund, the current regular Bundesliga season has not been going well for them (the last I found out, 13 out of the 18 places in the Bundesliga standings) and coach Thomas Doll’s job is on the line (or so I read). Though they have already earned a spot in the UEFA Cup next season by being in the final (given Bayern will be in the Champions League next season no matter the outcome of the DFB-Pokal final), the current Bundesliga standings is not doing any good for this former 1996/1997 Champions League winners. Ironically back then the coach who led Dortmund to Champions League glory was, Ottmar Hitzfeld.

But don’t count on him giving any sympathy to his former employers, though facing Dortmund in the final is a highlight for him. And oh, Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn will be playing in his last DFB-Pokal final match before hanging up his gloves at the end of the football season. Another reason why Bayern will want to win this.