Bellingham, Rudiger face curse in Champions League final

Real Madrid will play for their fifteenth Champions League trophy in London on Saturday. They will go for it in a final in which they start as favourites against Borussia Dortmund. But the Germans have a curiosity that has been repeated in recent history in their favour. It is a 'curse' that would star Jude Bellingham and Antonio Rudiger, who have a past with the German team.

In the last four Champions League finals, the famous law of the ex-player has been fulfilled. But this time, it was not because of a player's goal against his former team, but because it was these clubs that caused the defeat of their former players. As many as four teams finished runners-up to their former club.

This 'curse' started in the 2019/20 season. Then, Juan Bernat had to settle for second place after losing to Bayern Munich with Paris Saint-Germain. It was his second season at the Parc des Princes after four in Germany. The left-back started in the 1-0 defeat for the French side.

The following year, Kevin de Bruyne continued in the same vein. The Belgian midfielder had far less impact on opponents as he played just one season, making nine appearances for Chelsea. Seven years later, he saw the Blues beat a Manchester City side who, like Madrid, were favourites to win the final.

The third case came in the 2021/22 season with Fabinho. The Brazilian, now at Al-Ittihad, was experiencing his fourth season at Liverpool. He arrived at Anfield in 2018 from Monaco, who signed him from Real Madrid's academy.

Finally, Edin Dzeko added to a 'curse' that Bellingham and Rudiger want to avoid. The Bosnian striker, who currently plays for Fenerbahce, finished runner-up with Inter Milan to a Manchester City side he played for from 2010 to 2015.