In the post-match interviews, Lewandowski looked visibly downcast.
"It's a shame. We saw the path to the final... and then it slipped away. We lost to Atlético Madrid. Or maybe we lost to Shane. His performance was unbelievable."
The Polish striker shook his head. "We'll come back stronger."
A German reporter quickly followed up. "Will you still be at Dortmund next season?"
This season, aside from Shane Carter, several players had drawn major attention. Lewandowski was one of them. Eight goals in the Champions League. Overshadowed by Shane's brilliance, it seemed almost modest. But without that comparison, eight goals was elite. Even Messi and Ronaldo didn't hit that number every single season. With the scarcity of elite traditional strikers, Lewandowski's value was undeniable.
Götze also gave an interview. He apologized to Dortmund fans and expressed his loyalty to the club. But whether the fans would accept his farewell was another question.
Shane Carter stepped up for his own interview.
"Dortmund are a team worthy of respect. They caused us a lot of trouble. But in the end, we're the ones heading to the final."
He smiled calmly.
"You'll face Bayern Munich in the final. You beat them twice in the group stage. Does that give you confidence?"
"Past results don't prove anything," Shane replied. "Every match starts from zero. Just because we beat them before doesn't mean we'll beat them again. If we walk into the final thinking that way, we'll be punished."
After more than a season of growth, his composure was unmistakable. No one would guess he was only nineteen.
As the interview wrapped up, Shane turned and headed back to the locker room. There would be celebrations waiting.
On the way, he opened the system.
"Open the Dortmund Legendary Chest."
A mechanical voice responded.
[Ding! Congratulations! You have obtained the S-rank legendary player module: Jan Koller – Aerial Dominator. Fuse now?]
Shane blinked. Jan Koller? The two-meter giant? And him? He was only 1.85 meters. Koller being an aerial ruler made sense. But him? If he wanted to dominate in the air, his leap would have to be ridiculous. How much would his jumping need to improve?
"Fuse."
No hesitation. Aerial ability mattered for a midfielder too. Whenever the ball went up, you needed to compete. And in both attack and defense, it was crucial. Might as well go all in.
[Ding! Jan Koller Aerial Dominator Module fused successfully.]
[Ding! Your aerial anticipation has significantly improved.]
[Ding! You have gained extensive aerial duel experience.]
[Ding! Your attributes have increased.]
[Heading] 82 → 99
[Jumping] 88 → 99
At the post-match press conference, Klopp had already steadied himself. For Dortmund, reaching the semifinals was already a strong result. Just a few seasons ago, they had been fighting to avoid relegation. So while there was regret, there wasn't despair. This team had proven its strength.
And exiting the Champions League wasn't entirely a bad thing. They could now focus fully on domestic competitions. In the Bundesliga, Dortmund were neck-and-neck with Bayern. In two weeks, they would face each other directly. In the German Cup, they were also in the final. Against Bayern again.
Their season wasn't over. A domestic double was still within reach.
The German journalists present couldn't hide their disappointment. If Dortmund had reached the final to face Bayern, it would have been an all-German showdown on the biggest stage. A statement season for the Bundesliga.
"The better team won," Klopp said evenly. "We gave everything, but we lost. That's football. No one wins forever. Congratulations to Atlético. They were better. That's it."
With that, he left.
Then Simeone entered. The satisfaction on his face was impossible to hide. In just a season and a half, he had transformed Atlético. From a mid-table La Liga side into title contenders. Into a Champions League finalist. If that wasn't success, what was?
"I'm proud of my players. They delivered a great match, even after facing setbacks."
He brought up Lewandowski's goal. "That was clearly offside."
Fortunately for Atlético, they had won. Otherwise, Simeone would never have let that go.
The moment Shane stepped into the locker room, his teammates pounced.
"Champagne. Champagne. Hurry up."
The match was over. No holding back now. In seconds, he was drenched. Shane grabbed a bottle and fired back. Chaos erupted. Laughter. Shouting. Spray everywhere.
Until the door opened.
Simeone walked in. The room instantly quieted. He looked around at his players.
"Boys, reaching the Champions League final is worth celebrating," he said. "But don't forget, we haven't won anything yet. And in the league, we can't afford to drop a single point."
The words cooled the atmosphere. He was right. Making the final was not the finish line.
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