Martin Kree: Man United Fans Gave Us A Standing Ovation At Old Trafford | OneFootball

An interview with Martin Kree, by Ben McFadyean.

In the 2026/27 season, Borussia Dortmund will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their win of the Champions League, an unexpectedly convincing 3-1 over Juventus at the then home of the club’s fiercest rivals in the league, Bayern Munich, the Olympiastadion, on 28 May 1997.

In the season opener for 25/26,  the last friendly match of the summer, on 10 August, the visitors will once more be the Bianconeri, the 36-time Serie A champions will provide a solid test for Niko Kovac’s side in what is expected to be a sold-out Westfalenstadion. To mark the anniversary, Ben McFadyean spoke to former Borussia defender Martin Kree.

Kree played for BVB from 1994 to 1998, made five appearances for Germany’s U21 national team, won the Intercontinental Cup, two German championships, and the Champions League. Kree is currently a member of the supervisory board at VfL Bochum.

Growing up in Wickede, near Dortmund, the 1.84m former player is a product of the VfL Bochum academy. Kree’s first success came with reaching the DFB Pokal final in 1988, although the game was lost to Eintracht Frankfurt.

In 1992/93, silverware followed when the defensive-all-rounder was part of the Bayer 04 Leverkusen team that won the DFB Pokal final 1-0 against Hertha Berlin. Kree made 401 professional appearances, scoring 41 goals across a career that spanned 15 years between 1983-98.

“The whole development of BVB’s success is linked to these players. Without the reinforcements from Juventus like Julio Cesar, Andy Möller, Jürgen  Kohler, and Paolo Sousa, we would not have won the German championship twice in a row or won the Champions League.

“Whether that was the deciding factor in the final, I cannot say. Of course, these players knew the Juventus players. But the Juventus players also knew Möller and Kohler. I believe that it did not play a role in the final. Nevertheless, they were special Borussia players.”

You grew up in Wickede, just outside Dortmund, a real local hero like Lars Ricken or Marco Reus. How did it feel to be part of a team that brought the Champions League trophy to Dortmund?

“Of course, that’s the greatest memory of my playing career. And the final whistle, what happened then is a highlight of my life.

“I was born 30 kilometres from Dortmund. I can remember going to the BVB games with my father as a boy. At that time, Borussia Dortmund was still in the second division, but there were some great players there, like the Hungary international and midfield maestro, Zoltan Varga, who inspired me.

“These are the kinds of memories that stick in your mind. As a fan, you sat in the stands and watched the games without ever imagining that one day you would be looking up from the pitch to the stands and playing for BVB yourself.”

“I first played for VfL Bochum, then Leverkusen, and then I came to Borussia at just the right time. Looking back, when I think about how I came here at exactly that moment, it feels almost like magic; it couldn’t realistically have been better timed.

“That time in my career is associated with so many emotional highs, such a great time, it’s hard to believe it happened in retrospect.”

BVB famously celebrate their trophies with an open-top parade around the square in the city’s North, where they were first founded in 1909, Borsigplatz. The celebrations of the European Cup must have been wild.

“There were certainly many who enjoyed a beer or two. That’s how it was, you probably won’t believe it, but I have never been drunk in my life.

“The first time, when we won the German championship in 1995, we stood on a truck because BVB didn’t have a double-decker bus yet. It was an open truck, and there were 500,000 people lining the streets, and you’re sitting on top of the truck, looking down at the crowds and hoping that nothing happens, that no one gets run over.

“The following year, it was better secured with stewards. But in 1997, the feeling was simply indescribable. The feeling of celebrating up there. You could feel the warmth of the fans, the enthusiasm, and the love for us as players. I mean, who can claim to have shaken hands with 200,000 people in two hours? It was something very special!”

Which shirts that you have do you associate with the most special games? Do you have any framed at home?

“Well, football has changed dramatically overall. In our day, you only exchanged jerseys at international games. Or European Cup games. If I were playing today, I’d have 500 kits in my wardrobe. Today, you swap shirts after every Bundesliga game.

“I have one lasting memory, and also one of my most valuable jerseys. In 1997, we played Manchester United in the Champions League semi-final. Those were Eric Cantona’s last two international matches. He was my direct opponent in both games. And I have two of his jerseys framed at home. I remember this encounter with Cantona particularly well.

“I also have one from Zinedine Zidane. There are special players. I have a very special memory of the game in Manchester. They gave us a standing ovation as we left the stadium.”

The second leg of the semifinals at Old Trafford – a huge football night…

“Yes, absolutely. One of the most beautiful stadiums I’ve ever played in.

“We won the first leg in Dortmund 1-0 and won the second leg 1-0. And as a player, when you play in England, you also have a certain amount of respect. Everyone knows that England is the motherland of football.

“In Germany, the spectators are separated from the pitch by a fence. That’s not the case in England. And you think that if you foul someone, they’ll all get up and come after you. But I’ve actually never experienced a fairer crowd than the one in Manchester.

“Incidentally, they were eliminated at the time, but they gave us a standing ovation as we left the stadium, and that has stayed with me to this day. Something truly extraordinary.

“I don’t think it would have been possible in Germany for the crowd to applaud the victorious opponents as they left. These are memories that are still very vivid even after all these years.”

In addition to the Champions League, BVB won the Intercontinental Cup, the predecessor of the Club World Cup, in Tokyo in the same year. What was that like?

“We flew there the day before so that we wouldn’t suffer from jet lag and the time difference. It all happened very quickly, and we flew back the next day. Of course, we were delighted to win the cup against a Brazilian side, Belo Horizonte, but it was a bit of an artificial competition.

“The Champions League, or the European Cup as it used to be called, is something tangible. You know that. But personally, I didn’t care about the Intercontinental Cup because I don’t consider it a valuable trophy.

“The Champions League is different. And because, as I said, it was a short trip, one day there, play the game, the next day back, it wasn’t really a lasting experience, alas.”

“It’ll be tough, I don’t want to commit myself, but a win for BVB would be a good start to the season. Let’s wait and see!”