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The Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic wants his players to accept their underdog against Real Madrid and use past disappointments to fuel their desire to win the Champions League.
While Carlo Ancelotti’s side seek their 15th European Cup at Wembley on Saturday and are La Liga champions, Dortmund have not reached a final since losing to Bayern Munich at the same venue in 2013 and suffer the misery of dropping the Bundesliga title slipped through their hands on the final day of the season a year ago.
“The last one [league] “Last season’s game is now part of our life and now part of our path to success,” Terzic said on Friday. “To be honest, I don’t think it was the prettiest chapter of my life, but I think it was the most important chapter because it shows you that no matter how hard it is, you get up and go again.”
Dortmund, who finished fifth in the league this season, started theirs Champions League campaign with a defeat at Paris Saint-Germain and a draw with AC Milan – but bounced back with two wins over Newcastle and a 3-1 success at the San Siro to top Group F. After beating PSV Eindhoven in the last 16, they knocked out Atletico Madrid before to get revenge on PSG in the semi-finals.
That run of results has given Terzic confidence that his team can make a mistake. “We lost important players in the summer and it was going to take some time. We didn’t manage to be at the highest level in September, but now we are a completely different team. We are ready to compete and fight to win the trophy.
“If you play 10 games against Real Madrid it is difficult but if you go to the final everything is possible in football. It’s about the game, not the occasion. We had 60 games to prepare for tomorrow. It’s clear you [are] favourite, but we don’t care – we haven’t been favorites against Atletico or PSG.”
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The 41-year-old also said Ancelotti has been a “role model” in his coaching career. “The way he runs the team and the way the player plays for him, he should be a role model for young coaches,” Terzic said. “I still think I’m a young coach, so he’s a role model for me.”
Ancelotti is aiming for his seventh Champions League title as a player or manager, but Terzic has no intention of rolling out the red carpet. “If we’re brave and ready to show that we’re not here to see Real Madrid lift the trophy, we’re here to give them a game, then we’ll have a chance.”
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