LONDON: Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic believes “anything is possible” as his side aim to pull off one of the biggest ever shocks in a Champions League final against the mighty Real Madrid at London’s Wembley stadium on Saturday.
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.
“We have to enjoy being here,” said the Italian at his pre-match press conference. “But knowing it can go wrong because we are close to the most important thing in football — winning a Champions League — but having the fear this can escape us.”
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.”
Dortmund must breach the financial gulf between the sides to win the Champions League for just the second time in their history.
Last season Madrid posted record revenues of 831 million euros ($901 million) compared to Dortmund’s 420 million euros, according to financial experts Deloitte.
The career path of Jude Bellingham exemplifies the scale of the task facing the Germans.
Plucked from English Championship side Birmingham as a teenager, he was molded and developed by Dortmund before being picked off by Madrid for a transfer fee in excess of 100 million euros 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.”
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 for the 90,000 capacity stadium.
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
Thai army accuses Cambodia of violating truce with over 250 drones
- The Thai army said on Monday “more than 250 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were detected flying from the Cambodian side, intruding into Thailand’s sovereign territory” on Sunday night, according to a statement
BANGKOK: Thailand’s army accused Cambodia on Monday of violating a newly signed ceasefire agreement, reached after weeks of deadly border clashes, by flying more than 250 drones over its territory.
The Southeast Asian neighbors agreed to the “immediate” ceasefire on Saturday, pledging to end renewed border clashes that killed dozens of people and displaced more than a million this month.
But the fresh allegation from Bangkok and its threat to reconsider releasing Cambodian soldiers held by Thailand left a sustained truce in doubt, even as their foreign ministers wrapped up two days of talks hosted by China.
The Thai army said on Monday “more than 250 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were detected flying from the Cambodian side, intruding into Thailand’s sovereign territory” on Sunday night, according to a statement.
“Such actions constitute provocation and a violation of measures aimed at reducing tensions, which are inconsistent with the Joint Statement agreed” during a bilateral border committee meeting on Saturday, it said.
The reignited fighting this month spread to nearly every border province on both sides, shattering an earlier truce for which US President Donald Trump took credit.
Under the truce pact signed on Saturday, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to cease fire, freeze troop movements and cooperate on demining efforts and combatting cybercrime.
They also agreed to allow civilians living in border areas to return home as soon as possible, while Thailand was to return 18 Cambodian soldiers captured in July within 72 hours, if the ceasefire held.
’Small issue’
Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn described the drone incident as “a small issue related to flying drones seen by both sides along the border line.”
He said on Cambodian state television on Monday that the two sides had discussed the issue and agreed to investigate and “resolve it immediately.”
Thai army spokesman Winthai Suvaree said in a statement the drone activity reflected “provocative actions” and a “hostile stance toward Thailand,” which could affect the security of military personnel and civilians in border areas.
Thailand’s army “may need to reconsider its decision regarding the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers, depending on the situation and the behavior observed,” it said.
Several family members of soldiers held by Thailand for six months had little faith they would be released, even before Bangkok raised fresh doubts.
Heng Socheat, the wife of a soldier, told AFP on Monday she worried the Thai military might renege on its pledge.
“Until my husband arrives home, then I will believe them,” she said.
Prayers for peace
Five days of border clashes in July killed dozens of people before a truce was brokered by the United States, China and Malaysia, the chair of the ASEAN regional bloc.
Trump witnessed the signing of a follow-on declaration between Thailand and Cambodia in October but it was broken within months, with each side blaming the other for instigating the fresh fighting.
The conflict stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of the 800-kilometer (500-mile) Thai-Cambodian border, where both sides claim centuries-old temple ruins.
While the two nations agreed on Saturday to stop fighting, they still need to resolve the demarcation of their border.
Cambodia, Thailand and China issued a statement at the end of talks in China’s Yunnan province on Monday, saying they had discussed “working step by step through mutual efforts to resume normal exchanges, rebuild political mutual trust, improve Cambodia-Thailand bilateral relations, and safeguard regional stability.”
Cambodia also said on Monday it had called on Thailand to join another bilateral meeting in Cambodia in early January “to discuss and continue survey and demarcation work” at the border.
More than a hundred Buddhist monks and hundreds of others dressed in white shirts met at a war monument on the outskirts of the Cambodian capital on Monday evening to pray for peace with their neighbor.
