Jadon Sancho's Borussia Dortmund return offers chance of a new Wembley story in the Champions League final (2024)

A Champions League final at Wembley comes laced with meaning for many associated with Borussia Dortmund. Marco Reus and Mats Hummels played in their defeat there to Bayern Munich in 2013. Edin Terzic, now the manager, was in London as a fan.

The stadium holds slightly different emotions for another among the Dortmund squad tasked with providing a better ending against Real Madrid on Saturday. For Jadon Sancho, his Wembley final was more than disappointing. It was the night everything changed.

Brought on by Gareth Southgate in the 120th minute of England's European Championship final against Italy, Sancho had been introduced to take a penalty. His shot was saved, his team lost and he was the subject of horrendous racist abuse in the aftermath.

Jadon Sancho's Borussia Dortmund return offers chance of a new Wembley story in the Champions League final (1)

Just 12 days later, his £73m move to Manchester United was confirmed. He arrived as perhaps the most exciting young prospect in European football after scoring 50 goals and providing 64 assists in 137 games for Dortmund. He was still only 21 years old.

Events since have conspired to mean that despite earning the right to walk out at Wembley again in the biggest game in European club football, he does so having long since lost his place in the England squad - and not with United but back on loan at Dortmund.

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The story of what happened in the intervening period depends on who you ask. For some, Sancho was a victim of the United malaise. Expected to turn up and turn it on, he found a team lacking in structure, an environment not conducive to allowing him to thrive.

Sancho had never been a soloist despite those slaloming runs from deep. At Dortmund, he had full-backs overlapping to create space and a centre-forward willing to exchange passes and provide movement. At United, it was just give him the ball and wait.

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Others would point to talk of tardiness that predated his arrival, whispers of a questionable attitude. Omitted by Erik ten Hag on the grounds of training-ground performance, Sancho pushed back, refused to apologise and found himself frozen out of the squad.

It remains remarkable, something alluded to by former Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp as he left Liverpool. "I cannot just buy into that 'he's useless' stuff - like other clubs did by the way," he said. "Buying a player for £80m and then sending him out on loan!"

But whatever the situation says about United it did not reflect well on Sancho, either, and a response was required. Dortmund, it seems, was the best place from where to provide one. He immediately cut a different figure on his return to Germany. "Dortmund is home to me," he declared.

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Jadon Sancho's Borussia Dortmund return offers chance of a new Wembley story in the Champions League final (2)

The club where he had made his name seemed to intuitively understand their role in helping him to show his talent, rediscover his true self. "Jadon is a player that needs to smile," noted Terzic. "If he is smiling then he is going to shine on the pitch."

Dortmund eased him back at first but they played him into form. It has not been a tour de force, with two goals and two assists in his 14 Bundesliga appearances, but there have been glimpses of the talent that once lit up their stadium. He has felt valued again.

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'We forget they are human'

Speaking to Jurgen Klinsmann about this, he emphasised the human aspect. "Jadon obviously had a rough time finding his rhythm again and settling back again. We often forget that these very talented young players are just human beings," he told Sky Sports.

"When they go from one extreme to another and do not find their form in one place and something is not working or clicking and then they decide to go back to the place they came before, it takes time to adjust and get their confidence and form back.

"In that situation, I think that it is really important that the manager is patient with the player, that the manager lets the player do their thing and is there to help but not putting them too much under pressure to perform right away at the highest level."

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Jadon Sancho's Borussia Dortmund return offers chance of a new Wembley story in the Champions League final (4)

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Real Sancho emerging again

His importance to Dortmund is illustrated by the statistics. Sancho has completed 36 dribbles in the Bundesliga since his return - ranking third in the competition in that time - and has created more chances from open play than any other Dortmund player.

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But it is in the Champions League that he has really impressed. It was in this competition, in a 2-0 win over PSV in March, that he scored his first goal back in front of those Dortmund supporters. Against Paris Saint-Germain, in the semi-final, he was outstanding.

His 13 completed dribbles in the first leg were not only the most by a player in a Champions League game this season, they were more than anyone else in the previous two seasons as well. In fact, only Eden Hazard and Neymar have topped that figure in the past decade.

Jadon Sancho's Borussia Dortmund return offers chance of a new Wembley story in the Champions League final (6)

Confidence restored, Sancho was running at defenders with purpose again, full of energy on and off the ball. Since returning, he has blocked more passes than anyone else in the Champions League and ranks second in the competition for recovering possession.

Klinsmann speaks for everyone when he says that it is a joy to see him like this. "[He has shown] that he can perform at the highest level he has shown in the past in his young career. So I was really pleased that he picked up the pace now and is looking good, looking sharp."

All that remains is a fitting ending. Three years on, he can close the loop with another big performance against Real Madrid, making history at the club that helped make him a star, at the stadium where the dream started to unravel. Back at Wembley. Just back.

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Jadon Sancho's Borussia Dortmund return offers chance of a new Wembley story in the Champions League final (2024)

FAQs

How does Borussia Dortmund financially win even if they lose the Champions League final? ›

This amount is exactly the same as the prize money UEFA awards to the Champions League winner, while the runner-up receives 15 million. Therefore, if Dortmund loses the final at Wembley, they would receive a total of 35 million!

How did Dortmund make it to the Champions League final? ›

How did Borussia Dortmund reach the Champions League final? Borussia Dortmund was placed in Group F, which was the 'Group of Death' this time, featuring the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle United. However, Dortmund put on a good show and topped its group with 11 points.

How many Dortmund fans will be in Wembley? ›

For the game at Wembley, both Dortmund and Madrid were given 25,000 tickets to sell to their supporters, which means 50,000 of the fans in the stadium will be cheering on their team of choice (officially 57.7% of the total attendance).

Is Jadon Sancho going back to Dortmund? ›

The 24 year old was suspended from the first-team by manager Erik ten Hag last season, and ended up moving to Borussia Dortmund on a loan deal in January. At that time, Sancho said that returning to Borussia Dortmund felt like 'coming back home. '

What happens if Borussia Dortmund wins the Champions League? ›

What happens if Dortmund win the Champions League? Dortmund finished fifth, so they already have Champions League football for next season. However, a win for them at Wembley would be good news for Eintracht Frankfurt, the team in sixth place. They would then qualify for the Champions League for next season.

How much money does UCL winner get? ›

Stage
StagePrize Money (per club)
Winner€25m ($27.8m)
Runner-up€18.5m ($20.5m)
Semifinalists€15m ($16.6m)
Quarterfinalists€12.5m ($13.9)
4 more rows
Aug 29, 2024

Who won the UCL final in 2024? ›

What is Dortmund's biggest loss? ›

In 1971, Bayern defeated Dortmund 11–1; this remain's Bayern's biggest Bundesliga victory and Dortmund's second worst defeat, after Dortmund's worst defeat of 12–0 v Borussia Mönchengladbach on 29 April 1978.

Who won the Champions League in 2024, Real Madrid or Dortmund? ›

Real Madrid won a 15th Champions League title after withstanding a hugely impressive Borussia Dortmund performance to triumph at Wembley thanks to late goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior.

Who is number 1 in Dortmund? ›

Squad Borussia Dortmund
#PlayerContract
1Gregor Kobel Goalkeeper2028
35Marcel Lotka Goalkeeper2025
33Alexander Meyer Goalkeeper2026
4Nico Schlotterbeck Centre-Back2027
21 more rows

Who wears 7 for Dortmund? ›

Giovanni Alejandro Reyna | Borussia Dortmund | Player Profile | Bundesliga.

Is Dortmund a top club? ›

It is best known for its men's professional football team, which plays in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German football league system. The club have won eight league championships, five DFB-Pokals, one UEFA Champions League, one Intercontinental Cup, and one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Why is Jadon Sancho missing? ›

WHAT TEN HAG SAID. "First of all we need squad depth, There will be a long season and it will be survival of the fittest but I can only put 20 players in the squad and Jadon in the week had an ear infection. He was not 100 percent fit," Ten Hag said.

Has Jadon Sancho returned? ›

Jadon Sancho made his Manchester United return in a 2-0 pre-season friendly victory over Rangers in Scotland, as new signing Leny Yoro impressed on his debut just two days after joining the club.

Can Jadon Sancho play in the Champions League? ›

Jadon Sancho is set to play in a UEFA Champions League final back with his former club Borussia Dortmund, where he is on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season.

Will Dortmund earn more if they lose? ›

Incredibly, the amount that the runners-up of the competition earn, plus the aforementioned extras, Dortmund will earn more (£19.3m) than what they would have done if they reigned victorious in the English capital (£17.2m).

How much money does Dortmund get if Real Madrid wins the Champions League? ›

Champions League prize money breakdown

Another section of the prize pot is dished out based on a club's UEFA coefficient ranking - a weighted method for seeding top teams in Europe. As Real rank third, they stand to earn around £29m regardless of the result, and eighth-place Dortmund are due just over £24m.

What is the payout for Dortmund? ›

So, that means that Borussia Dortmund would actually make more money by losing the Champions League Final. That's because once you add in Bellingham's escalators, Borussia Dortmund's second-place payout would increase from $16.12 million to $23.7 million — $2 million more than the winning payout of $21.5 million.

Is Dortmund a profitable club? ›

Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund on Friday announced the highest single year turnover figure in their history, with the club generating 509.1 million euros ($559 million) last season.

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