Former world-class midfielder Sami Khedira has shared an anecdote about his personal preparation for the 2014 Champions League final with Real Madrid against city rivals Atletico.
Khedira, who ended his career last summer, had just returned from a six-month break due to a cruciate ligament rupture. In order to get at least a little competition practice before the 2014 World Cup, he asked coach Carlo Ancelotti for a few more assignments in the final phase of the season. “But he said: ‘Yes, of course. But you also have to play in the Champions League final because Xabi Alonso is suspended’,” Khedira said now ESPN-Podcast THE GABS AND JULS SHOW.
The former Germany international replied to his coach: ‘Carlo, come on. I’m maybe at 60 to 70 percent.’ But he assured me, ‘I need you on the pitch.'”
Khedira then played on the last two league matchdays, but was still not convinced of his suitability for the final of the premier class – but Cristiano Ronaldo, among others, changed this attitude: “A week before the final I was in the shower after training. Cristiano came in and said, ‘Sami, we need you.’ I said, ‘Cristiano, I’m maybe at 60 or 70 percent. I need more time.’ He replied: ‘There is no more time. It’s about a Champions League final. At 60 or 70 percent you’re still better than everyone else. So we need you. We need your personality.'”
Sami Khedira was in the starting XI in the 2014 CL final
In the final on May 24, 2014, which Real ultimately won 4-1 after extra time against Atletico, Khedira was actually in the starting XI and lasted around 60 minutes. “It was nice for me to be on the pitch,” he recalls. “It wasn’t my best performance but I could accept that as I only trained for three weeks before that. I did my best.”
The celebration on the return from the final venue Lisbon to Madrid the following night was spectacular: “When we got back to Madrid at 4 a.m., it was all going on at the Cibeles. The sun was already rising and we were already so tired but figured never mind, let’s celebrate with our fans now. I’ll be home at 7 or 8 in the morning after all the celebrations.”
Khedira made 161 competitive appearances for Real from 2010 to 2015 before moving to Juventus. There the 34-year-old later met Cristiano Ronaldo again, he then spent the last half of his career in the second half of the 2020/21 season at Hertha BSC.
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