LONDON: Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic believes “anything is possible” as his side aim to shock Real Madrid in Saturday’s Champions League final at London’s Wembley stadium.
The star-studded Spanish giants are heavy favorites to be crowned European champions for the 15th time, and a sixth in the last 11 seasons, against a Dortmund team that have beaten the odds just to make it to the English capital.
Madrid have lost just twice in 54 games in all competitions this season, storming to the title in La Liga by 10 points and thrashing Barcelona 4-1 to lift the Spanish Super Cup along the way.
However, they have had to once again dig deep to reach what coach Carlo Ancelotti described as the “biggest game of any season” in the Champions League.
Ancelotti’s men withstood a barrage from defending champions Manchester City to win their quarter-final tie on penalties before another legendary late fightback at the Santiago Bernabeu to beat Bayern Munich in the last four.
“We never stop believing, no matter how the circumstances are,” said Luka Modric, who along with Nacho, Dani Carvajal and Toni Kroos, in the final match of his club career, can win the European Cup for a record-equalling sixth time as a player.
“We always believe, keep believing, keep pushing, fighting until the end. In the end, we manage to find a way to beat opponents.
“Many people say there is luck, but when it happens so many times, I think it’s not just luck.”
The career path of Jude Bellingham exemplifies the scale of the task facing Dortmund.
Plucked from English Championship side Birmingham as a teenager, he was molded and developed by the German giants before being picked off by Madrid for a transfer fee in excess of 100 million euros ($109 million) 12 months ago.
Without him, Dortmund struggled domestically this season, finishing fifth in the Bundesliga, 27 points adrift of Bayer Leverkusen.
Yet, Terzic’s men have saved their best for the Champions League stage to reach the final for the third time in the club’s history and first since they lost at Wembley to Bayern Munich 11 years ago.
Dortmund topped the group of death featuring Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle.
PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid were then seen off before a heroic defensive display kept out PSG over two legs in the semifinals.
“They are the favorites but we don’t care, we haven’t been the favorites against Atletico or against PSG,” said Terzic.
“But if we are brave and not here to watch Real Madrid lift the trophy, if we are here to give them a game, then we have a chance.”
In stark contrast to Madrid’s moniker as the kings of the competition, Dortmund’s only previous Champions League success came back in 1997.
Over 100,000 fans of the German giants are estimated to have made the trip to London despite the club being allocated just 30,000 tickets.
Marco Reus is one of only two Dortmund players who were in the side that lost to Bayern at Wembley 11 years ago and is dreaming of the perfect end to his time at the club.
Saturday will be the 429th and final game of Reus’ Dortmund career that could have a fairytale ending.
“I would say there is nothing better than playing your last game in a Champions League final and winning it,” said Reus, who turned 35 on Friday.
“Now the objective is to win the trophy because we cannot imagine how things could be the very next day in Dortmund.”
UEFA will be hoping the focus is on the protagonists on the field come full-time to ensure their decision to return to Wembley for a major final is not questioned.
Three years ago, the final of Euro 2020 was marred by violence as ticketless fans stormed the stadium doors to gain entry.
The English Football Association have invested £5 million ($6 million) into improving safety and infrastructure at Wembley, which is also set to host the Euro 2028 final.
Dortmund dream of shocking Real Madrid in Champions League final
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Dortmund dream of shocking Real Madrid in Champions League final
Copa del Rey games and other sporting events postponed after deadly floods devastate southern Spain
- The Spanish league planned to postpone all weekend matches in the Valencia region, including those of Valencia against Real Madrid and Villarreal against Rayo Vallecano
- Clubs, soccer stars and other athletes — including Vinicius Junior, Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos, Diego Simeone and Thibaut Courtois — posted messages of support on social media
- Both Madrid and Barcelona held a moment of silence before their training sessions on Wednesday
VALENCIA, Spain: The Copa del Rey matches involving Valencia and Levante have been postponed following floods that have killed at least 95 people and caused havoc in southern Spain.
Other sporting events were also affected by Tuesday’s flash floods that swept away cars, turned village streets into rivers and disrupted rail lines and highways in the worst natural disaster to hit the European nation in recent memory.
The Spanish league planned to postpone all weekend matches in the Valencia region, including those of Valencia against Real Madrid and Villarreal against Rayo Vallecano. Three second-division games also were expected to be postponed.
Clubs, soccer stars and other athletes — including Vinicius Junior, Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos, Diego Simeone and Thibaut Courtois — posted messages of support on social media.
“Real Madrid is deeply saddened and expresses its solidarity with all the people affected by this catastrophe, to whom it conveys all its full support and sympathy,” the club said.
Both Madrid and Barcelona held a moment of silence before their training sessions on Wednesday.
Spanish tennis players Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz both joined in the messages of support, as did Formula One driver Carlos Sainz.
“Today was a sad day with the suffering and pain caused by the (floods),” Nadal said on X. “Everyone’s hearts are hurting seeing those images.”
Valencia was set to play Parla Escuela in the first round of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, while Levante was scheduled to visit Pontevedra.
Other midweek Copa games in the southern region were canceled as well.
The season-ending MotoGP race in Valencia in two weeks was also in doubt after reports of heavy damage caused by the floods at the Circuito Ricardo Tormo.
Some basketball games also had to be rescheduled as travel was affected throughout Spain.
Rainstorms that started Tuesday and continued Wednesday caused flooding across southern and eastern Spain, stretching from Malaga to Valencia. Muddy torrents tumbled vehicles down streets at high speeds while debris and household items swirled in the water. Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people from their homes and rubber boats to reach drivers stranded atop cars.
Musiala scores a hat trick as Bayern Munich beat Mainz 4-0 in German Cup
- After scoring his first on a slick team move assisted by Harry Kane, Musiala made sure he was in the right place at the right time for his other goals
- The ease of the win underlined Bayern’s return to the sort of domestic dominance it is used to in Germany after a trophyless 2023-24 season
- Eintracht Frankfurt played almost all of the game with 10 men but still beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1
MAINZ, Germany: Jamal Musiala scored a first-half hat trick as Bayern Munich reached the third round of the German Cup in a 4-0 win over Mainz on Wednesday.
Bayern were never seriously tested after Musiala opened the scoring less than 90 seconds into the game.
The ease of the win underlined Bayern’s return to the sort of domestic dominance it is used to in Germany after a trophyless 2023-24 season, even if their Champions League campaign has been less impressive.
After scoring his first on a slick team move assisted by Harry Kane, Musiala made sure he was in the right place at the right time for his other goals.
The second came on the rebound when a Kane shot was saved and Musiala completed his hat trick with Bayern’s fourth goal of the game, a tap-in when Konrad Laimer’s cross deflected off two Mainz players. Shortly before that, Leroy Sané had scored Bayern’s third goal on a flowing counterattack that began in his team’s own penalty area.
In Wednesday’s other games, Union Berlin have been on the rise again in the Bundesliga but had an early cup exit with a 2-0 loss to third-division Arminia Bielefeld.
Eintracht Frankfurt played almost all of the game with 10 men but still beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 on goals from forward Hugo Ekitike and Omar Marmoush.
Frankfurt were without defender Arthur Theate from the 15th minute after his handball saw him red-carded for the second game in a row. Theate was sent off in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Union Berlin but the suspension didn’t carry over to the cup.
Heidenheim was upset 2-1 by second-division Hertha Berlin. Heidenheim thought it had done enough to go to extra time when Paul Wanner headed in a last-second equalizer, but it was ruled out for an apparent foul in the buildup.
Other Bundesliga teams progressed as Werder Bremen knocked out Paderborn 1-0, Freiburg saw off Hamburger SV 2-1 and Hoffenheim knocked out Nuremberg 2-1.
England’s FA apologizes after Muslim footballer barred from match over clothing
- Iqra Ismail, 24, captained the Somali women’s team in 2019
- She was told by a referee during a league game that shorts were mandatory
LONDON: England’s Football Association has apologized to a Muslim footballer who was barred from a league match over her clothing.
Iqra Ismail, 24, who captained the Somali women’s team in 2019, was prevented from taking the field after refusing to wear shorts due to her religious beliefs.
On Sunday, Ismail was due to come on as a halftime substitute for United Dragons FC from London, but was prevented by the referee, who said club shorts were mandatory.
The Dragons were playing Tower Hamlets within the Greater London Women’s Football League, which has since updated its guidance to match officials and members.
The league said in a statement that it has been working with the FA to “better understand” its guidance on women’s playing attire to “ensure their faith or religious beliefs are not compromised.”
The statement added: “It was our understanding that players were permitted to wear tights or tracksuit bottoms to cover their legs but that they would also have to wear shorts on top, to adhere to club colour regulations. It was this requirement that our referee was seeking to adhere to this weekend.”
Ismail told the BBC that she “was warmed up and ready to go” before the referee’s decision, and that she had worn tracksuits in matches for almost five years.
“I’ve never worn shorts playing competitively,” she added. “I told him that I wasn’t comfortable wearing shorts in any capacity. It was a shock to me that the referee took such a strong stance of it.
“I was very visibly upset as the game was going on, my teammates and the manager were very supportive. Everyone has been devastated.”
Ismail has played the sport since she was 8 and has always worn a sports hijab, a long-sleeve top and tracksuit while on the field.
She was appointed to the Football Black List in 2019 and was a speaker at the FA’s Your Game Your Way event at Brentford Football Club earlier this year, Sky News reported.
Since the incident on Sunday, which Ismail detailed in an online video, the FA has pledged to ensure that the issue is “quickly resolved.”
An FA spokesperson told Sky: “We are aware of this matter and we are in contact with Middlesex FA to ensure that it is quickly resolved.
“We proactively wrote to all county FAs and match officials across the women’s grassroots game earlier this year to confirm that women and girls should be allowed to wear clothing that ensures their faith or religious beliefs are not compromised.
“We remain deeply committed to ensuring that English football is an inclusive and welcoming environment for everybody.”
Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro draws at Argentina’s River Plate and reaches Copa Libertadores final
- Atletico’s rival in the decider will be decided on Wednesday, and it is very likely to be fellow Brazilian side Botafogo
BUENOS AIRES: Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro drew 0-0 at Argentina’s River Plate on Tuesday and reached the final of the Copa Libertadores for the second time.
The team of veteran striker Hulk had beaten its rivals 3-0 in the first leg of the semifinal.
The festive atmosphere at the full Monumental de Nunez Stadium with more than 80,000 fans did not affect the Brazilian side, which had some of the clearest chances to score.
Atletico’s rival in the decider will be decided on Wednesday, and it is very likely to be fellow Brazilian side Botafogo. The Rio de Janeiro-based team will play at Uruguay’s Penarol after winning the first leg 5-0.
Brazilian teams have won the tournament for the past five years.
The final will be played on Nov. 30 at the same Monumental de Nunez Stadium in Buenos Aires.
Amorim says future ‘hasn’t been decided’ as Man United show interest in Sporting Lisbon coach
- Sporting released a statement to the Lisbon Stock Exchange, saying it has told United that Amorim has a release clause worth €10 million ($10.8 million) in his contract
- The 39-year-old Amorim has coached Sporting since 2020, leading the team to Portuguese league titles in 2021 and last season
Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim said Tuesday his future “hasn’t been decided yet” amid interest from Manchester United.
“Nobody knows if this was my farewell match, or if there will be a farewell match,” Amorim said in quotes reported by Portugal’s sports daily A Bola after Sporting’s 3-1 win over Nacional in the Portuguese League Cup quarterfinals.
Hours earlier, Sporting released a statement to the Lisbon Stock Exchange, saying it has told United that Amorim has a release clause worth €10 million ($10.8 million) in his contract.
The Portuguese champions said United “has shown interest” in paying that amount for Amorim.
United are looking to replace Erik ten Hag, who was fired on Monday with the team languishing in 14th place in the Premier League.
Ten Hag was the 20-time English champions’ fifth permanent manager since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. United have not won the league since Ferguson’s departure.
The 39-year-old Amorim has coached Sporting since 2020, leading the team to Portuguese league titles in 2021 and last season.
Sporting lead the league this season, too, having won all nine of its games, bolstering Amorim’s reputation as one of Europe’s most talented coaches.
He reportedly held talks with West Ham last season and was linked with replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool before Arne Slot was hired.
Amorim is a former Portugal midfielder who spent the majority of his club career at Benfica.
His contract at Sporting expires in 2026.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was asked earlier Tuesday if he thought Amorim has what it takes to succeed in the Premier League.
“All I can talk about is the experience of playing twice against Ruben’s Sporting Lisbon team (in the Champions League’s round of 16 in 2022), and the pressure was really, really good,” Guardiola said.
“I spoke with (current City player) Matheus Nunes, and he was his player, and he speaks highly about him. And look this season, he is unbeaten and winning all the games in the Portuguese league and (in) the Champions League, (they have) the same points as us. So a high manager. I have the feeling that Man United, what I hear, that they are thinking about him, it’s because he’s a good manager.”
Ten Hag’s assistant at United, Ruud van Nistelrooy, will take interim control of the team for Wednesday’s English League Cup match against Leicester at Old Trafford.
