As Jurgen Klopp Steps Down, Borussia Dortmund Have Reason to Be Hopeful

Saturday marked the end of an era for Borussia Dortmund, as Jurgen Klopp completed his final Bundesliga game at the club following seven years at the helm. It was an emotional day for the Black and Yellows and their supporters, marking Klopp's last game at the Signal Iduna Park.

His last game as head trainer will be May 30's DFB-Pokal final, but fans gave him a proper send-off on Saturday as his players earned a 3-2 win against Werder Bremen.

Dortmund reached improbable heights under Klopp, the club having narrowly avoided relegation the season before his arrival. He will leave having won more games than any other BVB coach, managing to win back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, setting a points record for the league, winning the DFB-Pokal and reaching the Champions League final during his stay. A second Pokal title is certainly within reach.

Before the Bremen match, Dortmund's famous home support in the south stand paid tribute with an enormous banner and "thank you" message, true to their reputation as some of Europe's most passionate supporters.

The players also sent off Klopp well, roaring out to an early 2-0 lead and never looking back as their victory ensured their participation in Europa League qualifiers next season.

It was an emotional day not only for Klopp but for Sebastian Kehl. The 35-year-old captained his side in the Bundesliga for the final time, having announced he would retire at season's end after 14 years at Dortmund.

Kehl may not be the only player to leave Dortmund this summer, with Ilkay Gundogan's revelation that he will not extend his contract past its expiration date in 2016, as reported by Joshua Hayward for Eurosport (via Yahoo).

There could be a major squad overhaul this summer, with Ciro Immobile and Adrian Ramos both utterly failing to impress and the club having completely fallen apart earlier in the campaign. There is something broken in Dortmund that even Klopp could not fix, and there most certainly will be changes beyond Klopp being replaced by Thomas Tuchel.

The problems at Dortmund are not exactly irreparable, though, and events on Saturday and in the weeks preceding have left some reason to be hopeful.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored his 16th goal of the Bundesliga season to bring him within a goal of being joint runner-up for the league's top-scorer trophy.

It remains to be seen whether he will be Dortmund's first-choice striker next season, as his pace-first style of play limits his effectiveness against organized defenses. He's not exactly a pure, lone-striker type. Still, the Gabon international's prolificacy in front of goal will either be a big benefit to BVB next season or will make his sale value rather high. 

Henrikh Mkhitaryan also ended the season in good form, scoring to bring his tally to two goals and four assists in his final six Bundesliga games of the campaign.

He has a long way to go to win the confidence of the BVB faithful, but he has made good steps as of late and built a good run of form. And according to Bild (h/t ESPN), Tuchel is planning to keep the Armenian attacker at the Signal Iduna Park for another year.

In defense, Erik Durm, who scored his first Bundesliga goal in a recent win against Hertha, put in another good shift at right-back on Saturday.

Whereas Lukasz Piszczek hasn't been the same since his hip surgery in 2013, the 23-year-old Durm is a lively, energetic player with plenty of upside. And although he began his career as a defender on the left flank, he's been hugely impressive on the right.

As Kehl steps down and Roman Weidenfeller looks to be on his way out after a poor season in goal, a new club leadership has emerged. Current captain Mats Hummels—whom Michael Zorc this week confirmed to Ruhr Nachrichten (h/t Goal) has decided against a move to Manchester United and will stay at BVB—and Marco Reus—who penned a contract extension in February that nullified the release clause that had been in his previous deal—will be key figures for the club from next season.

Many top stars have left Dortmund in recent years, but it appears that the Ruhr side will have two world-class stars as their backbone next season. They'll need to stay fit and will have to step up following a disappointing 2014-15, but if they can reach their previous heights, Tuchel will have a good foundation with which to work.

Dortmund still look far from contenders for the 2015-16 Bundesliga title and will at best aim for second place. Still, just a few months after sinking to last in the table, there are some things to look forward to. Having managed to finish seventh, BVB will be in contention for Europa League glory next season and Tuchel will have a good squad to work with.

Klopp may be gone, but for Dortmund as an institution, his departure only represents the end of a chapter in the club's history. As the next is set to begin under Tuchel, there is once more some reason to hope.