Dortmund coach Terzić on facing Real Madrid and UEFA Champions League final dream – interview

After beating the likes of Newcastle, Milan, PSV Eindhoven, Atlético de Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain to get this far, Borussia Dortmund are eyeing a second UEFA Champions League title ahead of the final against Real Madrid at Wembley.

Key to the Bundesliga side's success has been their inspirational coach Edin Terzić, who grew up a BVB supporter and is now hopeful of living every fan's biggest dream by lifting the famous Champions League trophy on 1 June. The 41-year-old tells UEFA.com about his feelings ahead of the big game, and looks back on his side's impressive progress throughout the season.

On Dortmund's 1997 Champions League win

I was 14 years old at the time. Unfortunately I wasn't in Munich [where the final was played], but I watched it on a big screen in my hometown. The next day I was at the airport for the homecoming when they landed with my brother. I've seen the match back several times since and it was a very special day for all Dortmund fans.

The city and the club are very closely connected with each other. If you ask anyone what colours are associated with the city, you will always hear the answer yellow and black. It's a sort of reciprocity. The club represents the city, the city represents the club, and that's what makes both of them so special.

On his side's progress to the final

In the group stage we had a disappointing experience in Paris on the first matchday, followed by just a draw in the second game [at home to Milan]. From the third matchday when we played against Newcastle and won, we noticed how we started to believe that we could achieve something. We realised we still had a lot to show in this Champions League season and our self-confidence started to grow.

Then we reached the knockout stages and we said to ourselves, "Of course, the path is getting more difficult from round to round, but at the same time, we're getting closer." We wanted to do everything that we could to get as far as possible and we've achieved that now. Of course, we want to take the final step.

On facing Real Madrid

We've performed really well and have earned our way to this final. We're up against an extremely strong team who have had this experience frequently, but we know that anything is possible in one match. If we played against Real Madrid ten times, it would probably be a stretch [to win overall], but in one match, in 90 minutes, or in 120 minutes plus penalties, we're capable of beating any opponents in the world.

On developing as a coach

Because you're working with people, there's no formula. Every day, there are new challenges, every day new tasks await someone, and you can't stand still. You learn new things every day about your group, about the people who you work with and also, of course, about yourself.

It's extremely important for me that I try to get a bit better every day and thereby make the team a bit better. I'm still fairly young in this area, even though I've already worked as a coach for half my life, but I've not been a first-team coach for that long.

It was my first time in a semi-final and now it's the first time I'm going to be in the Champions League final. Obviously, I still need to gain experience of one or two things, but I also try to use people who have had this experience more often, before I make mistakes that could have been avoided in the build-up.

On what winning the final would mean

A lot! It's the biggest title you can win in club football. We've only managed it once in the club's history, which also just shows how special this chance is for us. It's not getting easier for us to be successful, and that's why I think it would be a very special story to win. If you do it together, stick together, all think in the same direction, stay positive, show resilience and a lot of bravery, then you, too, can celebrate in the end.