05/31/2024
The entire football world sets its sights on London this Saturday. The capital of England, in the traditional Wembley stadium, will host the final of the Champions League 23/24, which will pit the white giant, Real Madrid, against a surprising Borussia Dortmund that with fewer weapons, but a lot of fortitude to play, seeks to challenge the dominance of the Spanish in the competition.
The loyals negriamarillos fans dream of celebrating their second continental glory, while the meringues, superb, want to extend their dominance in the highest competition, crowned champions for the fifteenth time. The latter have twice as many titles as their immediate pursuer, Milan, which has 7.
The match has a nice context for football fans, as it is presented as a new chapter in history where the powerful faces the humblewhich always lends itself to feats worthy of entering the history books, such as seeing Dortmund champion.
On the other hand, spectators can also witness a significant event with a Real Madrid victory, by watching a new dynasty of young footballers wisely managed by Florentino Pérezpresident of Real Madrid, establish himself at the top of football.
That team made up of legends like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos or Marcelo Vieira is now far away, young people like Vinícius (24 years old), Rodrygo (23) and Federico Valverde (25) assumed the legacy and in the last 3 years they reached two finals and a semifinal of the maximum club tournament.
Without a doubt, a transcendental match that has many interesting aspects behind it.
The great one measures himself before the surprise
‘Die Schwarzgelben’, or the black-yellow ones, are originally from Dortmund, a German city that has just over 500,000 inhabitants. A small place compared to Madrid, for example, a European metropolis that has around 3.5 million citizens. A small representation of the differences between both clubs.
One, maximum champion of the competition. Other, It is barely the third with the most leagues in Germany (8) and the second that raised the most Champions Leagues for the country, tied with Hamburg, also champion on only one occasion.
Counting the titles in total the difference is greater, since Real Madrid has 103 trophies in its showcases, the fourth club that added the most in the history of football, and the first in Europe’s major leagues. While Dortmund, in the shadow of Bayern Munich in their country, only managed to win 22 times.
Clearly the meringues feel better in large instances, and they have rarely lost in a definition. Precisely, Only in 3 of the 17 finals he played in did he see the rival take the trophy (1962, 1964, 1981), the last one being 43 years ago. While those from Germany, just like in this edition, sneaked into the final 3 times as the surprise of the tournament.
The first, of which he became champion in the 96/97 seasonobtained some unexpected victories against the perceived favorites, Manchester United in the semifinal and Juventus in the final, after advancing second in the group stage.
In 2012/2013, with a little more prestige since he had just been champion in Germany the previous year, Borussia Dortmund once again had an impeccable competition, beating Real Madrid itself in the semifinals after beating them 4-0 at Signal Iduna Park. However, they lost in the final against their bitterest rival, Bayern Munich.
Now, In 23/24, Dortmund also won in moments where a priori they were not favorites. First, passing as leader of the ‘group of death’ where PSG, Milan and Newcastle were. Then, eliminating greats like Atlético de Madrid in the quarterfinals and the millionaire PSG in the semis. The final, once again, will be a challenge against a great, something that he showed he can handle.
Differences between the two schools
This superiority of the white team is reflected in the differences in the current squad. Even if Dortmund has made it to the final, name by name they are far from having one of the best squads in Europe, as they do Madrid, which occupies third place among the most expensive payrolls in the world, behind Arsenal and Manchester City. Specifically, those from Madrid are valued at 1,040 million euros, according to Transfermarkt data.
Likewise, they have the most expensive footballer on the planet, Jude Bellingham, valued at 180 million euros (ME), almost 40% of the cost of the entire black and yellow campus, valued at 465 ME.
Of these, the most notable are Donyell Malen, Julian Brandt, Ian Maatsen, Nico Schlotterbeck and goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, all with a chip of 40 ME. While in Madrid there are 7 footballers whose cost is much higher than that Dortmund threshold: Vinícius (150 ME), Valverde (100 ME), Rodrygo (100 ME), Tchouaméni (90 ME), Camavinga (90 ME) and Militao (70 ME).
Speaking of performance in the season, the white house conquered LaLiga de España with great comfort, finishing 10 points away from second. Borussia finished fifth in the Bundesliga, signing its worst championship since the 2014/15 season.
Ancelotti vs. Terzic, two generations
The final will have a very big contrast on the bench of each club. While the Italian Carlo Ancelotti, who leads Real Madrid, is the coach with the most Champions League wins in history (4) and in turn the one who played in the most finals (5), Edin Terzic, at 41 years old, will face this instance for the first time.
Terzic was always a fan of Borussia Dortmundand at the age of 14 he celebrated the club’s only European champion title, in 1997, as another member of the ‘Yellow Wall’.
In his career as a coach he began with two steps in the club of his loves as a technical assistant in different categories between 2010-2013 and 2018-2020. His opportunity came to be an interim member of the main squad for a short period in 2020., which he did not waste and was crowned champion of the German Cup. But it was not until 2022 when he took over as owner, replacing Marco Rose.
In his first season as a property coach, rode the Bundesliga 22/23 that lost unusually in the last game. Now, in his second year, he brought the team to a continental definition. The coaches’ duel would see the consecration of a new figure on the bench, or the extension of a great legacy like that of Ancelotti.
The farewell of two greats, Kroos and Reus
London will also be the place where two German stars say goodbye to the clubs where they are legends. Marco Reus, born in Dortmund 35 years ago, played in the club’s lower divisions, and managed to return to the team of which he is a fan in 2012.
Will leave after 12 yearsand has not yet confirmed whether he is retiring or continuing with another cast, despite rumors that place him in the MLS.
The only certainty is that he will say goodbye to his fans at Wembley, just like Toni Kroos who, unlike, did confirm his final goodbye to football after playing in the 2024 Euro Cup.
The midfielder spent 10 years at Real Madrid after signing in 2014 from Bayern Munich. During this time he won 5 Champions Leaguesand it was transcendental to qualify for this final that could mean his sixth orejona.
One of the two legends, Kroos or Reus, will leave a last bitter image falling in the final.
Another final for the legendary Wembley stadium
The traditional English setting, second largest in Europe and sixth in the world with capacity for 90,000 fanswill receive its eighth European final if the time is counted since its construction in 1923.
There were 5 in its first version (1992, 1978, 1971, 1968, 1963), and after being demolished in 2002 to be erected as the New Wembley in 2007, received 2 other definitive matches.
In 2011, when Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona beat Manchester United, and in 2013, the sad memory of Borussia Dortmundwho lost in their second European final against Bayern Munich.
That team is still remembered for the talents that made it up: Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gotze, Ilkay Gundogan or Marco Reus himself, the only one who always remained in the club. Mats Hummels also played in that final, but left for a few seasons to wear the colors of Bayern Munich, like ‘Lewy’ and Gotze.
Instead, It will be the first final for Real Madrid at Wembley. If it is extended to Spanish teams, they won two of the 7 definitions held there (1992, 2011).
All the numbers point to Real Madrid dominating the continent again. But football, as Dortmund showed during the tournament, always has room for a new surprise.
Figures and possible 11
Both clubs will have their most outstanding footballers. On the Spanish side Brazilian Vinícius will be there, who scored a double in the semifinal to keep Madrid alive against Bayern Munich.
On the other hand, the Germans will have their star defense, Mats Hummels, who won the player of the match award in the two semi-final matches against PSG.
Among the most notable names in the yellows’ season we should also mention goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, forward Nikolas Fullkrug and winger Jadon Sancho. On the white side, figures like Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Toni Kroos.
Real Madrid: Courtois – Carvajal, Nacho (cap.), Rüdiger, Mendy – Valverde, Kroos, Camavinga, Bellingham – Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr. Coach: Carlo Ancelotti (ITA)
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel – Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen – Can (cap.) – Sabitzer, Brandt – Sancho, Adeyemi – Füllkrug. Coach: Edin Terzic (GER)
Atmosphere in London before the final
Before the Champions League final, Uefa organized a 7-a-side football championship full of tournament legends. In London she crashed the Portuguese Luis Figo’s team against Cafú’s teama party in which there were other figures such as Makélélé, Roberto Carlos or Pirés.
The other match was played the teams of Kaká and David Silva, who on the court had other names like Cambiasso or Materazzi. The champion team at the end of the tournament was Silva’s 7.
Some recognized Former soccer players were encouraged to give their prediction for the uneven final. Some with a past in the White House, such as Kaká, aimed for a 1-0 in favor of Madridwhile Gareth Balefeatured in the 2018 final against Liverpool, was forceful with a 3-0 for merengue.
Others like Dimitar Berbatov, former Manchester United or Javier MascheranoBarcelona reference, They bet on a 2-1 in favor of the yellow team. Other figures such as Essien, Pirés or Sagna leaned towards the white side.
Dortmund fans fight for tickets
Borussia Dortmund is one of the most popular clubs. This is what their attendance average says, the best in the world, keeping Signal Iduna Park, a stadium with capacity for 81,000 people, packed every game.
In this order of ideas, it is not surprising that 400,000 people of the more than 500,000 that inhabit the city of Dortmund have formally requested a ticket from the club for the London final.
The problem is that For the yellow side specifically there are only 25,000 tickets available, same amount for Madrid fans. The rest of the “neutral” tickets are sold by Uefa, which is why fans began to fight for tickets with tourists and fans from all over the world.
Around Wembley There are many intrepid fans who traveled to the place without a ticket hoping to get one, while officially on the Uefa side all the seats have already been sold.
