Borussia Dortmund opts out of training at the Santiago Bernabeu over espionage concerns: Report

BERLIN – Borussia Dortmund have decided to train at a different location instead of the Santiago Bernabeu ahead of their Champions League final rematch against Real Madrid on Oct 22. The team is concerned about the possibility of spies monitoring the session and potentially picking up on tactical strategies.

The sides meet in a Champions League group-stage clash, with German tabloid Bild claiming Dortmund have decided against the customary training session to get a feel of the venue ahead of their tie. The German side will instead have their last session in Dortmund before flying out to the Spanish capital.

On the spying accusations, Real manager Carlo Ancelotti said: “We know it all about the rival team. We watch all their games. There’s no secrets, I have enough information about the team and how they’ve played recently.”

Dortmund head into the game amid worrying form and criticism of coach Nuri Sahin.

Surprise finalists Dortmund dominated the first half and much of the second at Wembley in June, but were felled by a trademark Real counter-punch, conceding twice in the final 20 minutes to lose last term’s showpiece 2-0. Since then, coach Edin Terzic has left his post, falling victim to a poor domestic season with a fifth-placed finish.

Sahin, a Dortmund junior who had an unsuccessful short stint at Real as a player, has overseen 10 games in all competitions.

Now he faces the biggest test of his mettle to date, with his Dortmund team having looked inconsistent and still appearing to lack a clear tactical identity.