Mats Hummels on being in the Champions League final with Dortmund again: "It means everything"
| Photo: Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 4.0 |
In 2013, Mats Hummels was part of the Borussia Dortmund team that lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.
Fast forward 11 years, and Hummels is back in the final with the Black and Yellows, this time against Real Madrid.
Asked what it means to him, the 35-year-old veteran told Borussia Dortmund's official website:
“Everything, just everything. It means everything.”
"One thing is for sure: you cannot predict the emotions that will come. It's the second biggest match in the world. The biggest is the World Cup final, the second biggest is the Champions League final. I've played in both," Hummels also said in the interview.
"Normally I am someone who concentrates completely on my game on the pitch, regardless of the importance or the moment. But the feeling before and during the two games was very different.
“The importance is so great that you have to prepare for it. It can be overwhelming. You have to make sure it doesn't make you feel smaller than you are."
The Champions League final will be played at Wembley on June 1. With Hummels' contract expiring at the end of the season, it could be his last game for BVB.
