a final as the last dance for Marco Reus, cursed legend of Borussia Dortmund

After 22 years at the club, including twelve as professionals, Marco Reus will play his last match with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday in the Champions League final.

One of the cursed types, Marco Reus has not often been spoiled by fate. In Germany, the number 11 of Borussia Dortmund even drags down the reputation of black Katze (black cat). Often injured at the worst times, the German international (48 caps) notably missed two World Cups (2014, 2022) and two Euros (2016, 2020).

But, Saturday June 1, 2024, destiny decided to finally give him a gift: a Champions League final against Real Madrid, as a farewell after 12 years at Borussia Dortmund. Eleven years after the final lost to Bayern Munich, already at Wembley, the attacking midfielder returns to the legendary London venue to play a C1 final. “There is nothing better than playing your last match in the Champions League final and winning it”enjoyed the German, in an interview with UEFA.

An artist with feet of clay, Marco Reus is thus offered the opportunity to leave Borussia Dortmund through the front door. All without pressure, since the BvB enters this final against Real Madrid in the position of outsider, having eliminated PSV Eindhoven, Atlético de Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. “They have strong players in all positions, they play very calm football, they press very high, they run a lot, but it all depends on the momentum”warned the German, on the UEFA website.

“We will have to be at the top of our game. In a final you also need a bit of luck and, of course, you have to convert your chances. But it’s a match and anything is possible, we have to believe in it, we will will believe, and we will have enormous support behind us for this final.”

In the event of a European coronation, Marco Reus would give a whole new dimension to his career, while his status as a Borussia Dortmund legend is open to debate across the Rhine. And this despite stats that speak for him: the midfielder has 420 matches with the BvB, for 170 goals and 121 assists. But the second top scorer in the club’s history has a rather meager record, with two German Cups and three Super Cups won in twelve years, but above all seven runners-up places in the Bundesliga.

“When you see how Marco played and how he was acclaimed, it proves once again how important he is to this club. He is one of the greatest players BvB has ever produced.”, for his part assured the director of Borussia, Sebastian Kehl, after the match against Augsburg. Because if the German has never had a collective coronation worthy of his talent, his trophies for best Bundesliga player (2012, 2014 & 2019) and best German player of the year (2012, 2019) attest to his talent.

Further proof of his mark on football across the Rhine: his status as captain of Borussia Dortmund since 2018, he who also replaced Lionel Messi on the cover of the Fifa video game in 2017. All with the jersey of his club always, the BvB, him, the native of Dortmund who played ten years with Borussia’s youth team before leaving to gain experience in Ahlen and Mönchengladbach, only to return to “his” club in 2012.

“Dortmund means everything to me. Playing for a club for twelve years is no small thing. You don’t just stay for the name or the money. You have to feel comfortable, have a good environment and good teammates.”

Approached several times by major European players, notably FC Barcelona, ​​Marco Reus has always remained loyal to Borussia Dortmund. At the foot of the yellow wall, he formed duos that marked the 2010s with Mario Götze, Robert Lewandowski, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ousmane Dembélé, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham. But, at 34, the attacking midfielder was not extended by his club, which he will officially leave on June 30.

On May 18, during his last match at Signal Iduna Park, after scoring a goal and providing an assist (4-0 victory against Darmstadt), Marco Reus was duly celebrated by his audience. In response, the BvB number 11 paid a giant tour to the 25,000 supporters of the yellow wall. “Thank you for everything! The farewell beer is for me“, wrote the one who owes his first name to Marco Van Basten, another artist betrayed by his physique in his time.

A nice present from Marco Reus, even if the people Schwarz und Gelb hopes for an even better one: the Champions League, 2024 edition. Eleven years after the lost final at Wembley, and 27 after the victorious one in 1997, Marco Reus has the opportunity to offer a second Champions League to his club heart. Which, the day after his 35th birthday, would be the best farewell gift.