Dortmund had been the German champions in the previous two seasons, but struggled to keep pace with Bayern Munich in 1996–97. In the 1996–97 UEFA Champions League, though, Dortmund progressed through the group stage as runners-up. They then beat Auxerre and Manchester United to reach the Champions League final, against Juventus. He had scored one goal during the group stage, the first in a 2–2 draw at Widzew Łódź. His performance in the semi-final elimination of Manchester United was later praised in the autobiography of United midfielder Roy Keane.