The Champions League final at Wembley means a lot to many people associated with Borussia Dortmund. Marco Reus and Mats Hummels played there in the defeat to Bayern Munich in 2013. Current manager Edin Terzic was in London as a fan.
There are slightly different feelings on the pitch about the Dortmund squad, who will need to provide a better ending to Saturday's game against Real Madrid. For Jadon Sancho, his Wembley final was more than a disappointment. It was the night when everything changed.
In the 120th minute of England's European Championship final against Italy, Sancho was awarded a penalty when Gareth Southgate came on. His shot was blocked, his team lost, and he was subjected to horrific racist abuse in the aftermath.
Jadon Sancho reacts after missing a penalty kick for England during the Euro 2020 final.
Just 12 days later, his £73m transfer to Manchester United was confirmed. He has emerged as perhaps the most exciting young prospect in European football, scoring 50 goals and providing 64 assists in 137 appearances for Dortmund. He was still only 21 years old.
Events since then have meant that despite earning the right to go out at Wembley again in the biggest game in European club football, he has done so as he has long since lost his place in the England squad. And he was loaned back to Dortmund, not United. .
The story of what happened in the meantime varies depending on who you ask. To some, Sancho was a victim of United's malaise. He lacked structure in the team and he found the environment unconducive to his growth.
Sancho, despite his galloping from the depths, has never been a soloist. At Dortmund, he had center forwards looking to exchange passes and provide movement with overlapping full-backs to create space. At United, all you had to do was give him the ball and wait.
Others spoke of his tardiness and noted whispers of a suspicious attitude before his arrival. Sancho, who was left out by Erik ten Hag for his performance on the training ground, refused to apologize and was left out of the squad.
What former Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp said when leaving Liverpool remains noteworthy. “I don’t believe that other clubs are saying ‘he’s useless’,” he said. “Buying a player for 80 million pounds and sending him out on loan!”
But whatever the situation was for Manchester United, it did not reflect well on Sancho and a response was needed. Dortmund seemed to be the best place to offer this. As soon as he returned to Germany, he looked different. “Dortmund is home to me,” he declared.
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Jadon Sancho has described Dortmund as ‘home’ following his return to the club.
The clubs he made a name for seemed to intuitively understand their role in helping him showcase his talents and rediscover his true self. “Jadon is a player you have to smile about,” Terzic said. “If he’s smiling, he’ll shine on the pitch.”
Dortmund initially took him at ease, but they played him in style. it wasn't feat of strength, recorded 2 goals and 2 assists in 14 Bundesliga games, but also showed a glimpse of the talent that once lit up the stadium. He felt valued once again.
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Watch how Jadon Sancho celebrates reaching the Champions League final
'We forgot they were human'
Talking about this with Jurgen Klinsmann, he emphasized the human side. “Jadon has certainly had a hard time finding his rhythm again and re-establishing himself. We often forget that these very talented young players are only human,” he said. sky sports.
“When they go from one extreme to the other and don't find their form in one place and something doesn't work or click and then decide to go back to where they came from before, it takes time for them to adapt and gain confidence and form. .
“I think it's really important in those situations for the manager to be patient with the player, let him do his job and help him, but not put too much pressure on him to perform at his best level right away.”
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Watch Jadon Sancho score for the first time since rejoining Dortmund on loan.
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Watch Jadon Sancho's stunning opener against RB Leipzig in April
Real Sancho is on the rise again
His importance to Dortmund is proven through statistics. Sancho has completed 36 successful dribbles in the Bundesliga since his return (third most in the competition at the time), and has created more chances from open play than any other Dortmund player.
But it was in the Champions League where he really impressed. It was in the 2-0 win over PSV in March that he scored his first goal in front of Dortmund supporters. In the semifinals, he performed outstandingly against Paris Saint-Germain.
The 13 dribbles he recorded in the first leg were not only the most by any Champions League player this season, but also more than anyone else in the past two seasons. In fact, only Eden Hazard and Neymar have surpassed this figure in the past decade.
With his confidence restored, Sancho was energetic on and off the ball and once again ran at defenders with purpose. Since his return, he has intercepted more passes than anyone else in the Champions League and ranks second in the race to regain possession.
Klinsmann speaks for everyone when he says he's happy to see this side of himself. “(He) has shown in the past that he can perform at the highest level he has shown in his young career, so I was really pleased to see him picking up the pace now and looking good and sharp.”
All that remains is a proper ending. Three years later, he can close the loop with another big performance against Real Madrid, making history at the club that helped make him a star and the stadium where his dreams began to unravel. I'm back at Wembley. Just got back.
