Real Madrid v Dortmund LIVE: Champions League final score, result and reaction after Vinicius Jr caps win

With bigger clubs starting to fish in the same player pool, Dortmund have been forced to adapt their transfer strategy and it has taken them to the brink of an unlikely Champions League title, writes Miguel Delaney:

^{Back in January, when Borussia Dortmund were just hoping to reach the Champions League quarter-finals rather than the final, they attempted to bolster their season by moving for a series of young English-based players. You can imagine the profile, which has always been to source burgeoning talent with potential: the equivalent of a 2017 Jadon Sancho. Chelsea’s squad was of particular interest.}

^{In other words, vintage Dortmund signings. Except, this time, the pitch that was successfully made to Jude Bellingham in 2020 didn’t work. Dortmund’s offer of more elite game-time to younger players is no longer so attractive. The evolution of both the transfer market and football tactics has meant that clubs like Manchester City and – yes – Real Madrid specifically aim for that profile of player. The omnipresence of pressing has ensured that even middle-of-the-table clubs need more of their younger talent to do the running.}

^{In short, Dortmund have lost their unique selling point. The world around them has changed. This is now forcing Dortmund to change, in a move that many around the club feel has been too long coming.}

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Borussia Dortmund have signed a new sponsorship deal with German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall and will display the defence company’s logo ahead of facing Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

Dortmund said on Wednesday the three-year deal with Rheinmetall includes “wide-reaching advertising space, marketing rights and event and hospitality arrangements in the stadium and on the club grounds” starting from this week’s buildup for the Champions League final on Saturday.

Rheinmetall is building a new plant in northern Germany to produce around 200,000 artillery shells per year as part of European efforts to increase weapons production against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Security and defence are fundamental cornerstones of our democracy. That is why we believe it is the right decision to take a very close look at how we protect these cornerstones,” Dortmund chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke said in a statement. “Especially today, when we see every day how freedom must be defended in Europe. We should deal with this new normality.”

Ancelotti downplayed the suggestion that his side, looking to extend their record eight Champions League final wins, will be the favourites on Saturday.

He has also largely resisted the temptation to grill information out of England international Jude Bellingham, who joined the LaLiga champions from BVB last summer.

Ancelotti explained: “No, no. Of course he’s a former Dortmund player, but there’s no need to ask too much about his ex club because there’s a lot of information out there. We’ve seen all their games. We’ve studied our opponents well.”

Carlo Ancelotti insists his Real Madrid men “ooze confidence” ahead of their Champions League final but admits he still gets pre-match jitters despite his own unparalleled success in the tournament.

Though he is now 40 years removed from his first European Cup final appearance with Roma in 1984, the 64-year-old feels little has changed when it comes to his personal experience of the build-up.

He said: “The days leading up to the final are always the same. Plenty of excitement, because it’s the biggest game of the season for everyone involved. We’re happy to be a part of this final, and there are goosebumps, like my first time.

“Three as a player, sixth final as a manager. Happy to be here, the worries will come later on, and maybe that fear, but until then I’m going to enjoy the moment.

“Saturday afternoon, that’s when the fear arrives. Of course I’ve got experience, being here before. I look at my team and they ooze confidence. I can see them totally focused on this final. It gives you peace of mind.”

Carlo Ancelotti insists his Real Madrid men “ooze confidence” ahead of their Champions League final but admits he still gets pre-match jitters despite his own unparalleled success in the tournament.

Though he is now 40 years removed from his first European Cup final appearance with Roma in 1984, the 64-year-old feels little has changed when it comes to his personal experience of the build-up.

He said: “The days leading up to the final are always the same. Plenty of excitement, because it’s the biggest game of the season for everyone involved. We’re happy to be a part of this final, and there are goosebumps, like my first time.

“Three as a player, sixth final as a manager. Happy to be here, the worries will come later on, and maybe that fear, but until then I’m going to enjoy the moment.

“Saturday afternoon, that’s when the fear arrives. Of course I’ve got experience, being here before. I look at my team and they ooze confidence. I can see them totally focused on this final. It gives you peace of mind.”

Spanish police have seized 11 metric tonnes of fake soccer jerseys to be sold in Spain in the run-up to Saturday's Champions League final in London between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund and the Euro 2024 in Germany next month.

A search of 15 heavy lorries had produced the haul of jerseys along with other fake products such as luxury watches, leather goods and electronics, with an estimated market value of more than six million euros ($6.50 million), according to a statement on Friday.

The investigation started in April, when two tonnes of counterfeit shirts of Spanish football clubs sent from China were seized.

Police found out that a large shipment was bound for Spain before the Champions League final and the Euro finals, and set up a sting operation involving more than 20 agents.

They seized more than 36,500 fake sports kits of several Spanish and European soccer clubs emblazoned with names of top footballers such as Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, France's Kylian Mbappe, and a number of Spanish stars.

The counterfeits were intended for several organisations based in Spain that were planning to distribute them through street commerce and online. Reuters.

Mark Hughes is likely to have been rubbing his eyes in disbelief as he watched Joselu score two late goals to down Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.

Welshman Hughes was the Stoke boss who signed the forward in the summer of 2015 but Joselu managed just four goals before being shipped out on loan - eventually returning to England for a similarly unimpactful two-year stay at Newcastle.

However, having moved to the Bernabeu on loan from Espanyol this season, the 34-year-old wrote his name into Real folklore with his match-winning brace and now he will be hoping for a chance to repeat the feat at Wembley.

While Real will be considered heavy favourites under the Wembley arch, Dortmund will be looking to upset the odds.

Head coach Edin Terzic has filled numerous roles at the club and, in his second stint as manager, could deliver their first Champions League glory since 1997.

As a scout and coach in the club’s academy he answered to former boss Jurgen Klopp but on Saturday he can go one better than the German, who was in charge when Dortmund last reached the final in 2013 - a 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich at Wembley.

After winning four Champions League titles and four LaLiga crowns during a trophy-laden decade in Madrid, midfielder Toni Kroos will play his final game for the club at Wembley.

The 34-year-old - who also won three league titles at Bayern Munich as well as the 2014 World Cup with Germany - is hanging up his boots after a home European Championship this summer.

Kroos will want to bow out in style as he aims for more silverware to cap a fine career.

Another Englishman looking to make an impact on proceedings is Jadon Sancho, who has been in good form since returning to Dortmund on loan from Manchester United in January.

The 24-year-old struggled for consistency at Old Trafford and left under a cloud following a falling out with manager Erik ten Hag.

Since then he has started to rebuild his reputation in Germany with some eye-catching performances en route to the Champions League final.

And he will look to create a better personal memory at Wembley after missing in the penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final three years ago.