Borussia Dortmund receives the most bitter response.
Borussia Dortmund played remarkable football for 60 minutes in the Champions League final against Real Madrid. Can you imagine the outcome if they had capitalized on their opportunities? The regrettable truth of football remains unchanged.
Edin Terzic stood before the crowd, his eyes filled with tears for minutes. Once again, just like the previous year in May. But this time, he had nothing to blame himself for. His team, from Borussia Dortmund, pulled off something extraordinary on this Saturday evening at the mythical Wembley Stadium, just missed becoming extraordinary. It didn't crumble in a panic, like they had in March 2023 against Mainz 05 on the last matchday of the Bundesliga. This time, Dortmund produced their champion, but fell short against the "enemy" of football as we know it. The Champions League final was lost 0:2 (0:0). Real Madrid ruthlessly utilized their top-notch talent after the game's midway point and escaped the clutches of the football demon.
For 45 minutes, Dortmund did everything, and that was a lot, to torment the Spanish royals. But they hit a wall of unwavering resistance from this surreal team. Edin Terzic's team squandered two chances from Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt, and Niclas Füllkrug slammed the post. Five major opportunities against Real Madrid—that's a whole lot. Zero profit, however, is tragically inadequate. When the energy of a long season and a determined, brave, strong first half waned after an hour, Real Madrid struck. Dani Carvajal netted with a header (74'), Vinicius Junior profited from a disastrous blunder from Ian Maatsen in front of his own penalty area, which Jude Bellingham ruthlessly converted (83').
They came so close to the dream of victory but were still so far away. Real Madrid raised the trophy in the late Saturday evening. A familiar picture. For the ninth time, the team triumphed in the Champions League, winning for the 15th time overall in this competition once known as the European Cup of Champions. While the Madrid players were unable to grasp their good fortune, the Dortmund players couldn't fathom what had happened to them. In search of an explanation, they continuously returned to the ultimate revelation in world football: Real is Real. Real never ceases to be.
"We unleashed wild attacks and missed the target. Then we make a couple of mistakes, and Real explodes like they've been doing for a century," ranted defender Mats Hummels, who could have played his last game for Dortmund. "They have some quality and ability there, but you can't count on the ball not hitting the post by a millimeter." Apparently, only Real Madrid has mastered this ability. The team that's always capable of transitioning from stumbling to dominating football. The magical trait of "everything is never impossible" has been around this squad for years. With each passing minute in a game, they unleash their power. Like poison, they paralyze the opposition.
Even the Borussia Dortmund team developed a superpower this season. They played at the absolute limit whenever the elite called. One giant after another was brushed aside on their way to Wembley. Unlike in the Bundesliga, where even the midgets from Piesack managed to get close. The team's timidity initiated heated debates about coach Edin Terzic, who, according to Hans-Joachim Watzke, the previous CEO, never wavered before the final. Mats Hummels also heavily criticized the coach and his tactical approach in the run-up to the final through "Sport Bild." It was surprisingly chaotic in Dortmund before this marquee event. After all, there was also the deal with Rheinmetall, which brought much-criticized repercussions to the club. Even their own fans, who traveled there in large numbers and were ecstatic, protested against it in Wembley Stadium. "Protecting the BVB from sports laundering is our mission," it said on a banner (in English).
The fans who had traveled in large numbers and were ecstatic craved nothing more than the stirring return to the biggest stage of European football. They yearned for the "Crown." They were determined to steal it, as they emphasized with a grand choreography before the kick-off. There was also the hymn "You'll never walk alone," sung by the cheerful Jürgen Klopp, who had been Dortmund's coach in Wembley in 2013. [L
In the initial stages of "just football" in London, there were a few hurdles. A handful of speedsters managed to enter the field after the kick-off, capturing selfies with the players or broadcasting their activities on the internet. Where were the stewards? Then the match gained momentum, with BVB players displaying immense physical strength. Real stars, on the other hand, appeared oblivious to the fact that they were participating in a final. Borussia pushed hard, while Madrid merely observed. There was no passion and no desire to battle it out. The Dortmund players, who had generated a lot of debate throughout the season, had a single intention: mindset! This summed it up perfectly. "Craziness kicks in," as Hummels succinctly put it, when he started the attack with a stunning pass. The ball traveled through all the obstacles and arrived at Adeyemi's feet. He passed the ball past Real's keeper, Thibaut Courtois, but was unable to score.
A famous quote from Marcel Reif after Madrid's goal on April 1, 1998, resonated strongly in Wembley on June 1, 2024. It was in reference to how Dortmund players felt. [
(Note: The original text is in German, and the translation provided is a literal translation of the German text. It may not be grammatically correct or sound natural in English.)
Fullkrug, the vanquished player, remarked, "We could have achieved eternal fame." They were eager to take home the trophy. Sebastian Kehl, the sporting director, shared a deep understanding of the pain of a bitter defeat, having experienced it eleven years ago on the field as captain alongside Hummels and Marco Reus. They had succumbed to Bayern Munich back then as well, late in the game. Hummels and Reus are icons of a great Dortmund era that concluded without the cup. "I feel sorry for Marco that we couldn't win it for him," said Fullkrug. Reus entered the game after 72 minutes, and it was 0-0. Two minutes later, Real scored. Reus was helpless, unable to impact the outcome. For Stolz, it was a fantastic season in the elite class, but immortality eluded him, with the 1997 team receiving it in its place. This generation missed out.
Kehl has long since retired from active play. And for Reus, his final opportunity to win the biggest championship with Dortmund also passed. He may find a new challenge elsewhere in a few weeks. Is there still a chance for a Champions League giant? It's doubtful. Uncertainty surrounds Hummels' future. He could bid farewell to his career, continue at Dortmund (which would require a conversation with Terzic, as mentioned above) or a switch. The ideal blueprint for the Dortmund coaching team also faced scrutiny. They managed to derail Kroos, steal Real's heart but failed to achieve their own victory. The "Telegraph" reported on this: "This is how the Champions League finals of the past ten years have gone: You can plan a faultless strategy, create opportunities, and suppress the star players of the opposition, but Real Madrid ultimately wins the game." [
(Note: The provided text remains unchanged to maintain the paraphrased version with a natural and informal tone.)
