Eleven years after its last Champions League final played at Wembley, Borussia Dortmund returns to London on June 1 after dominating PSG on the outward and return legs at the Parc des Princes. After the match, coach Edin Terzic, the coach of the “Borussen”, very smiling at a press conference, expressed all his joy at taking BVB to this stage of the competition at the end of a very special season and now hopes lift the Cup with the big ears. He rejected any form of overconfidence on the part of the Parisian team.
What analysis do you make of this historic evening for Borussia Dortmund?
EDIN TERZIC. It’s surreal. We managed to do it. We deserved to play in the Champions League final. We were able to face this PSG team which is developing such strength, and if we succeeded it is thanks to this teamwork. Luck was on our side. I am very, very proud of my team, the staff and the whole club. For me, it’s really joy that predominates. We would have hoped to have a better season in the championship. I had difficulties before this match, but we managed to qualify.
Are you euphoric after this victory?
It was a very beautiful moment. Our supporters were already there at the start of the season when we faced PSG, this time we were able to make them proud, they deserved to win with us. Now we hope we will bring the cup home.
How will you celebrate this victory?
I have nothing planned ! I think the night is going to be very short, we have a lot of emotion inside us. We focused on the match and we managed to do it. Everyone is partying right now and maybe I’m missing these beautiful moments. But it’s obvious that we’re going to have a great evening. It’s a very beautiful thing to be in the final. Now you have to believe it.
You said that PSG was sure of itself before this meeting. Was there excess confidence on their part?
I wouldn’t say they were overconfident. We could very well feel that they were ready to put this offensive force, they lost a very fair first leg, and I think that today it was clear that they were going to be confident. But so do we. We showed all this confidence, that’s what counts. This is what makes us proud. If we had played this match 10 times, we might not have won it 10 times. It’s the little details that make the difference and which fell on our side.
Mats Hummels deceived Donnarumma from a corner. AFP/Franck Fife
It’s a special evening for two of your historic players, Marco Reus and Mats Hummels, who have been there for years…
That’s the wonderful side of football. Marco had the chance to play in the Champions League final in his first season. He will be able to return there this season. It’s a loop that closes. They have been part of a lot of success in recent seasons. Mats had a great match tonight. Today, we had to count on this strength, on stability on the ground. We really wanted to give these two people the opportunity to do something extraordinary.
Who do you want to face in the final now? Bayern or Real Madrid?
I know we won’t be favorites in the final. It will be hard no matter what. In a match, anything is possible, we know it and we showed it again by beating PSG.
