Carlo Ancelotti, coach of Real Madrid, refrained from labeling his team as "favorites" ahead of the Champions League final on June 1st at Wembley. He is "convinced" that they will have to "suffer" to win what would be the club's fifteenth title in the history of the competition.

"We don't think of ourselves as favorites. We have to play a match against a rival that has deservedly reached the final, eliminating high-quality teams. We are convinced that we must suffer, fight, and battle, just like in all finals," he declared in a press conference.

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"We are very clear about what Borussia Dortmund is, a team with a lot of history in the competition and experience counts. It’s a team that has earned its place. The two best teams have reached the Champions final. We are not on vacation, but many people are," he added.

Ancelotti did not want to compare Saturday’s final with last Wednesday’s between Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta, in which the Italians defeated the supposed favorites.

"Each match has its own story. I have to congratulate Gasperini (Atalanta’s coach), but it's a final with different teams and different tactics where the best team won, Atalanta," he stated.

The Madrid coach highlighted the strengths of their rival. "They are a quick team up front, with experienced and young players. But what impressed me the most, especially against PSG, is their attitude and fight in both matches. Their desire to reach this final. That is the most notable thing and what worries us the most," he noted.

"We have to be prepared for all the facets that will arise in the match. Defend, because Dortmund is formidable in transitions, they have a very compact defensive block… they have characteristics similar to ours, being strong in all aspects. It will be a competitive and hard-fought match," he added.

Ancelotti highlighted the best moment on the road to the Champions League final as the entry of Joselu Mato in the second leg of the semifinals against Bayern Munich, when he scored a brace that allowed for the comeback.

"There are many moments, as always. It is a journey to the final similar to 2022. With suffering. We had a spectacular group stage, we started having problems with Leipzig in a second leg where the team did not play very well, the quarterfinals against the best team in this competition, which we eliminated with a spectacular defensive performance, and then the comeback against Bayern Munich. To highlight one... when Joselu came on in the semifinal," he pointed out.

He also emphasized the importance of mixing veterans and young players in the squad for the club's success.

"The veterans are the example. They represent a generation of commitment and positive attitude. The veterans continue to contribute this. A transition has begun in recent years, and the young players are starting to take more responsibility. The club is doing very well in this regard, because young players of high technical quality have arrived and have understood very well what Real Madrid is," he highlighted.

Furthermore, he praised Florentino Pérez, the president of Real Madrid, and the calm he conveys before matches like the Champions League finals.

"The president is always very calm and very confident. He conveys a lot of affection to us. He is very happy and spending time with him before these matches is very nice," he concluded.