Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund will meet in the Champions League final on Saturday night.
The football Champions League season culminates on Saturday at London’s Wembley, when Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid clash in the final.
Real Madrid is the perennial winner of the Champions League, having won the competition a record 14 times, if you include its predecessor, the European Cup. Real’s previous championship was two years ago. Real has also been in good form this season, as they won the Spanish La Liga overwhelmingly.
Dortmund’s season in the German Bundesliga was considerably quieter. It only finished fifth, but in the Champions League it has gone all the way to the final. Dortmund was last in the final in the spring of 2013, when they lost to Bayern Munich. Dortmund has won the Champions League once, in 1997.
The final is also an opportunity for three German football legends to culminate their careers with a great victory. One of them plays for Real and two for Dortmund.
Toni Kroos
Played in Real Madrid for ten years Toni Kroos, 34, announced that he will end his career for the summer European Championships. Considered one of the best midfielders in recent years, Kroos has won the Champions League four times with Real Madrid and once before with Bayern Munich.
Kroos has plenty of trophies in his trophy cabinet, as he has also won the Bundesliga three times, the German Cup three times, the Spanish League four times and the Spanish Cup once. One more Champions League win would be a great conclusion to Kroos’ club career.
– We are saying goodbye to a great football player. We are lucky to have him here. He is a fine midfielder with great level but not a big ego. He always plays for the team, the coach of Real Madrid Carlo Ancelotti said.
– Toni can end his career winning the Champions League and he would deserve it. But he no longer needs a Champions League win for his career. He has been a fantastic player for ten years, he has made history for Real Madrid and world football.
Marco Reus
Turned 35 on Friday Marco Reus has been playing for Dortmund since 2012. The Champions League final is Reus’s last match for Dortmund. However, he will continue his career elsewhere.
Reus captained Dortmund for five years. He has been voted German Footballer of the Year twice and Bundesliga Player of the Year three times.
In Dortmund’s last Bundesliga home match against Darmstadt, Reus organized a great gift for the supporters when he offered beers to all the spectators. There were more than 80,000 spectators at the match.
– Thanks everybody. Farewell beers to my thorn, Reus wrote.
Big wins have surrounded Reus. Dortmund has not won the Bundesliga in his time. In Reus’ first season, Dortmund played in the Champions League final but lost. He wasn’t part of the Germany team that won the World Cup in 2014. Reus has the German Cup wins, but a Champions League win would be a wonderful crown to his career.
Mats Hummels
Mats Hummels, 35, played in Dortmund from 2009 to 2016. He was between Bayern Munich and Dortmund again since 2019.
Hummels has performed strongly in the Champions League, but he was not selected for the German team for the European Championships. He told Bild that he was bitter about it.
– I am one of the five best defenders in Germany. I have the confidence to say so.
Hummels also stated that he has three options regarding the continuation of his career: continue at Dortmund, move somewhere else or end his career.
– Quitting is the most unlikely option, Hummels said.
Hummels was part of Germany’s world champion team in 2014. He has won the Bundesliga twice with Dortmund and three times with Bayern. He has not won the Champions League.