Borussia Dortmund continue preparations for UCL final against Real Madrid

Borussia Dortmund are not shying away from a clash against 14-time winners Real Madrid in the Champions League final, according to manager Edin Terzic as they gear up for the showdown set to take place on Saturday at Wembley Stadium.

In contrast to Real's prolific achievements in the UCL (UEFA Champions League), with five titles in the past 10 years, eight wins on all final trips since the Champions League replaced the European Cup in 1992, and a total of 14 titles, Dortmund has but one title dating back to 1997, and finished as runners-up in 2013 in an all-German final against Bayern Munich.

"We have to have the belief that we can achieve big things," said Terzic. "We have to invest everything to bring the trophy back to Dortmund. It has been a long time."

"The most important thing is if you want to win the Champions League, you have to beat the champions," the coach said. "We now face the absolute champions."

"They have had this experience 14 times, won it five times in the past 10 years. But our aim is always to break it down to one game."

"Eight Champions League finals and they never lost. But what matters is not what happened in the previous eight. What matters is only the next one. It is time to break that run."

Dortmund edged past PSV Eindhoven, Atletico Madrid and title favorites Paris Saint-Germain in the knockout stage of UCL this season, while Real faced a tougher draw, moving past RB Leipzig, English champions Manchester City, and Bayern Munich.

In the domestic leagues, Dortmund also qualified for next season's UCL with a fifth-place finish in the German Bundesliga, and Real dominated the Spanish LaLiga for the 36th time, 10 points clear of second-placed Barcelona.

"I had said it at the time that I would have done without this chapter of my life, but this day was from that point part of our road to success," Terzic said of their previous final's loss to Bayern.

"Now we travel to London with the same fans who a year ago after that bitter match (on the final Bundesliga matchday), kept supporting us and singing for hours. It is time to give something back, and we will have the chance to hopefully celebrate together."

(Cover: Borussia Dortmund players attend a team training session in Cologne, Germany, on May 28, 2024, ahead of their Champions League final against Real Madrid in London on Saturday. /CFP)