Story
09 Black & Yellow moments in 2024 – Part 1
Quarter-final against Atlético Madrid – "This is why you play football"
In the first leg in Madrid, BVB initially made a number of mistakes and were already 2-0 behind after half an hour. But they found their way back into the game towards the end of the first half and reduced the deficit to 2-1. The return leg in Dortmund was one for the history books: In front of 81,365 spectators, who made for a breath-taking atmosphere, BVB led 2-0 at the break thanks to goals from Julian Brandt and Ian Maatsen and were on course for the semi-finals. But only three minutes after the half-time interval, an unlucky Mats Hummels own goal put the teams back on level terms. Atlético even restored parity at 2-2, but BVB hit back: Two goals from Niclas Füllkrug and Marcel Sabitzer put the Black & Yellows into a 4-2 lead and re-established their two-goal cushion. At the final whistle, the celebrations knew no bounds. "These are the evenings that you play football for. It's extremely fun to feel these emotions and to see the happy faces after what has been a modest season," said Julian Brandt.
The international press attributed great importance to the synergy between the fans and the footballers. "Dortmund and its famous Yellow Wall crush Atlético," wrote El Pais, with fellow Spanish newspaper Sport adding: "Atlético were shattered by the Yellow Wall." The British newspaper The Guardian wrote: "Another raw and savage night of Champions League football at the Westfalenstadion: the colours vivid, the sounds ear-shattering."
Semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain – "Incredible solidarity"
On Labour Day, 1 May, the star-studded squad of Paris Saint-Germain paid a visit to the city of hard graft. The 77,000 BVB supporters among the 81,365 spectators turned SIGNAL IDUNA PARK into a sea of yellow, created a cauldron-like atmosphere and celebrated the deserved opener from Füllkrug. PSG pushed for the equaliser after the break but struck the woodwork twice, while Borussia also had two more good chances. Hans-Joachim Watzke was full of praise: "The incredible solidarity in our stadium between the fans and team was once again palpable and served as the foundation for our success. Our fans again proved why the South Stand and the stadium atmosphere are famous all over the world and feared by our opponents."
After the final whistle in the return leg, all hell broke loose. The team stormed over to their fans in Paris. There were 2,000 of them – 75,000 fewer than in the first leg – but they could be heard throughout the match and played their part in Borussia Dortmund winning 1-0 and reaching the biggest game that there is in football for the third time in the club’s history: the UEFA Champions League final.
Final against Real Madrid – "Grateful for our unbelievable fans"
30,000 BVB fans were able to secure tickets for the biggest match in club football, while another 30,000 made the journey to London without a ticket. The metropolis turned Black & Yellow on 1 June 2024. The spectators at Wembley Stadium marvelled at the courageous performance from Borussia Dortmund, who clearly dominated the first half and created five clear chances; final opponents Real Madrid did not have one. It was even for a long time in the second period until Real decided the game with two goals. Captain Emre Can said afterwards: “Despite the disappointment, I’m more than grateful for our unbelievable fans. We will take the motivation from this game with us and transport it into the new season.” Nico Schlotterbeck added: “Our fans were far superior to their Madrid counterparts. They were unbelievable, here in the stadium, in the city, in Dortmund. Many thanks to every single one.”
