2023-12-13 14:45:00
A photo for history, a birth certificate, a declaration to the world. This April 12, 2017, Kylian Mbappé scores a double on the pitch of Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. From this demonstration, we retained a photo, that of the AS Monaco striker, celebrating in front of an amazed stadium. For a photo to impress memories, there needs to be a context, already drawn, and a setting. The Yellow Wall played this role, the south stand of Signal Iduna Park is always a major player in Borussia’s big evenings.
Kylian Mbappé against Dortmund
Credit: Panoramic
No need to remind you, Paris is playing for its European future this Wednesday evening. Any other result than a victory would expose PSG to an immense disappointment, the worst of the QSI era which is not lacking. “Of course, if I thought that this team didn’t have the necessary character, I would have stayed at home,” Marquinhos said on Tuesday at a press conference. “Away we made mistakes that we don’t make not at home. There is the strength of the opposing supporters and we sometimes made mistakes.”
Milan’s funny strategy
If San Siro is noisy, if St James’ Park was a cauldron despite the deluge in the north of England, Paris will experience a new hostile atmosphere on Wednesday evening in Signal Iduna Park. Away, Paris is suffering this year in C1 (two defeats). Even in European format, the “Yellow Wall” is scary. Before going there to suffer a defeat which was to complicate its Top 16 hopes, AC Milan had tried to prepare for the special atmosphere in the Ruhr.
“Paris transferred to the Europa League would be a disaster”
“The idea came from watching Borussia’s home matches,” said Stefano Pioli, the coach, to explain why Borussia chants were heard at the Milan training center. Thinking about the atmosphere in which we will have to get used to it, preparing for the match from a tactical and environmental point of view, given that they probably won’t even hear my voice. They will be prepared in detail for tomorrow night.” Not getting along on the pitch seems to be obvious on the Dortmund side.
The “heart” of Borussia Dortmund
“The south stand has incredible power, many opponents are afraid of these supporters and the incredible noise they make,” Norbert Dickel, former player and now speaker of Signal Iduna Park, testified to the Bundesliga in 2017. When the match starts and the ‘south’ sings, it’s really special. It’s certainly the heart of BvB.” And the locals know it well. Roman Weidenfeller, Borussia goalkeeper from 2002 to 2018, was well aware of the strength of the Yellow Wall’s support: “When you have them at your back, it’s an incredible feeling. And if they are against you, they oppress you .”
Gianluigi Donnarumma, not feeling very confident at the moment, will have to resist popular pressure. Also a Borussia goalkeeper during 29 matches between 2003 and 2005, Guillaume Warmuz has very vivid memories as he recounted in his autobiography, “My life will be here”, recounting the adventure of Oliver Kahn who had seen bananas rained on him one Borussia-Bayern evening. The Italian goalkeeper of PSG did not add fuel to the fire before facing the German tide and he took it well. The “Yellow Wall” is impressive enough not to add any more.
Kylian Mbappé and PSG, facing the Yellow Wall of Borussia Dortmund
Credit: Quentin Guichard
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