Eve of the Champions League at Wembley, the temple of European football where Borussia Dortmund And real Madrid in a few hours they will compete to decide the winner of the most important football competition at club level. As usual, the two coaches spoke in the conference this Friday: Edin Terzic And Carlo Ancelotti. Below are their statements.
Edin Terzic (Borussia Dortmund): We are the team that has kept the most clean sheets in the competition and the objective is to keep Madrid away from our goal.”
On the evolution of the team: “We are a very different team than the one in September, more solid now. We have improved a lot and we must continue like this.”
On what to do to beat Madrid: “They have the most successful team in the Champions League and they have only lost two games this season. It is possible that by playing 10 times against Madrid you lose, but in one game? You have to concentrate on one game. We have had 60 games in this season season to prepare for tomorrow. Madrid is the favorite and we don’t care about this, we are not here to see Madrid win another Champions League.”
He said he wanted to celebrate a title like never before: “I remember what I said, that we were going to work harder than ever. I’m focused on the match and the best things are those that aren’t planned. Hopefully we have a reason to celebrate tomorrow.”
On what he sees in his players: “I see enthusiasm. If they had told me that I would be sitting here in the run-up to the final I would have been very nervous, but today I am confident. We prepared very well for the match and we are confident, because I know how we worked.”
On how the players who lost the 2013 final feel: “We talked a lot with those two players (Reus and Hummels, ed.) and with two members of the coaching staff (Kehl and Sahin, ed.) and we shared these experiences. When we qualified for the round of 16 I believed we could be here.”
Message to the fans: “It makes me very sad that there are people who don’t have tickets. I remember the atmosphere in Dortmund in ’97 and I know that everyone will be very supportive. There will be a lot of noise in the stadium, I know.”
What defects does Madrid have: “Yes, we talked about it with the team, but I won’t talk about it here. There are many things that I like about Madrid and others that are worse and we will try to take advantage of them.”
Read all Terzic’s words here!
Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid): “We had time to prepare well for the match. The dressing room has the confidence to get the best out of it. We have a lot of respect for our opponents, who deserved to reach this final and we hope that everything goes well.”
Who will play in goal?
“Lunin had the flu. Tomorrow he will come with us and will be on the bench, so Courtois will play.”
How it feels to be in the final again?
“I’m very happy to be here. The worries will come later. I have a lot of confidence in my team. I know that my players will give everything, even Rodrygo. He is a very important player and will be so in the future too, without a doubt.”
How are you preparing for this meeting?
“The most important thing in this type of match is to give the players clear ideas about what they have to do on the pitch. I will focus on the tactical aspect of the match. Everyone handles emotions differently. Fear and worry are an important part to do things well. The team has shown quality and sacrifice, this will be the key tomorrow.”
What it’s like to step onto the pitch at Wembley?
“Playing here, in this historic stadium, is exciting.”
Real Madrid is obsessed with the Champions League?
“The Champions League is not an obsession. The obsession is to compete and give your best. There are moments when things don’t go as you would like. We can already say that the season has been very positive.”
With Dortmund a cycle ends for his Real?
“This generation of players has done a fantastic, incredible job.”
You are a little scared or worried about tomorrow?
“A Champions League final is the most important match. We have to make the most of being here and then the worries will come. Fear can be there. It’s a Champions League final. It’s a feeling that everyone has. It’s normal, but you are happier if you win and overcome fear.”
Read all Ancelotti’s words here!