Just as Emlyn Hughes was for Liverpool in 1978, Emre Can will soon have the chance to be a European Cup-winning captain at Wembley.
The former Reds midfielder is now the skipper of Borussia Dortmund, who sealed their place in the Champions League final in London on 1 June after they defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital on Tuesday night.
The 30-year-old was a Bayern Munich player when they won the competition in 2013 but didn’t feature in that triumph, while his involvement in the 2018 decider for LFC was restricted to a late substitute appearance, having only just come back from injury.
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Speaking to CBS Sports after his current side booked their ticket to Wembley last night, Can reflected: “It’s very different, I would say, because when I was with Bayern in the final I didn’t play. I was a very young guy. I was in the squad but I didn’t play. With Liverpool I was a long time injured. I didn’t play the quarter-final or semi-final.
“Now I’ve played all the games and when you play it’s different. It feels different. I am captain of this team and I am very proud. If I talk too much I get emotional.”
Having not truly been involved in Bayern’s Wembley success 11 years ago, and only played a fleeting role in Liverpool’s heartbreaking loss in Kyiv five years later, Can is now the heartbeat of a Dortmund side who could be just 90 minutes of football away from becoming champions of Europe for the second time.
We’d love to see him hoisting the trophy aloft in northwest London on 1 June, five years to the day that Jordan Henderson lifted that very piece of silverware for us in Madrid.
You can view Can’s post-match interview below, via @CBSSportsGolazo on X:
"I'm very proud… if I talk too much I'll get emotional." 🥹@Pschmeichel1 and @AnitaNnekaJones chat with @BVB captain @emrecan_ as his side are Wembley-bound for the #UCL final 🏆 pic.twitter.com/mG3KGpPhem
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 7, 2024