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Lukasz Piszczek tried everything to keep his emotions under wraps.

He had been very successful at Borussia Dortmund for eleven years.

Always cool, always clarified, hardly ever revealing anything private.

The Polish full-back hates interviews and public appointments.

But now he couldn't help himself.

The 35-year-old held his hands in front of his face in the cheers that had formed after the famous 4-1 (3-0) final win over RB Leipzig.

It wasn't just the Berlin rain that was dripping from his cheeks.

Piszczek wept.

Not completely unrestrained, but nonetheless incessant.

They all came to him.

Trainer Edin Terzic, the teammates, supervisors.

Acknowledging what he had achieved over the years.

Sporty, but above all human.

Piszczek was moved, the feelings overwhelmed him.

Even when his teammates caught him and cheered him on several times, his hands covered his eyes.

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It was more than the obligatory farewell with which a well-deserved player is said goodbye after a long time with a club.

In every throw there was also a big thank you to someone who had once again achieved two big goals for his team and his club this season.

It therefore also fit into the picture that he was leading the team to the award ceremony and standing right next to Marco Reus when the captain raised the wages for Borussia's strong performance in the final.

Piszczek with one hand on the cup, and shortly afterwards with both.

Cup winners 2021: Marco Reus tears the trophy upwards.

Lukasz Piszczek stands next to the captain ...

Source: Getty Images / Martin Rose

... and immediately holds the trophy in his own hands

Source: Getty Images / Pool

In the jersey of his long-time team-mate Marcel Schmelzer, the only one with whom he has played continuously at BVB since the beginning of 2010 and who is now also ending his career, the Pole took the golden trophy and hugged it.

It is the last of eight titles he won with Dortmund.

In the end, Piszczek played his way back into the starting line-up

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Piszczek will be 36 on June 3, and the Polish right-back had already announced before the season that he would join his home club, fourth division LKS Goczalkowice, in the summer of 2021.

The fact that BVB's downward trend at the beginning of the year only finds its way into the seasonal chronicle as a dent is largely due to him.

Piszczek, who had long since completed his status downgrade to reservist, was once again really important when he left, ousted Thomas Meunier, who was seven years younger and signed up by Paris Saint-Germain, and helped to turn things around with an impeccable performance.

Goal scorers: Erling Haaland (left) and Jadon Sancho shot BVB to victory against Leipzig

Source: dpa / Martin Rose

He has recently played seven games for BVB, the team has won seven times, including a flawless 15 points from five Bundesliga games.

In the five previous games it had been seven points without Piszczek.

Coincidence?

Against Union Berlin (2-0) and VfL Wolfsburg (2-0) as well as in the DFB-Pokal semi-final against Holstein Kiel (5-0), BVB finally got zero again.

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The model professional will now throw everything into the balance twice in order to give his successors and the club a sporting perspective: after winning the cup, the Champions League qualification should take place.

Then the right winger, who came free of charge from Hertha BSC in 2010, is over.

Other times: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (BVB) and Robert Lewandowski celebrate the rare goalscorer Lukas Piszczek in 2013

Source: pa / Avanti-Fotogr / Avanti-Fotografie

"How important he was for Borussia Dortmund cannot be put into words at all," said Terzic.

“Lukasz emptied the tank completely, pulled out everything in terms of performance and emotion in order to win this trophy.

I am amazed that he could still cry at all. "

Even more: Piszczek even answered questions from the media himself in the end.

"Those were pure emotions," said the legend: "The earlier titles were also great, but I'll take the day with me for my life."