Borussia Dortmund train in a £1,000 an hour pitch in central London just hours before their Champions League clash with Chelsea… nine years after warming up in Regent’s Park before playing for Arsenal
- Borussia Dortmund take on Chelsea in a big Champions League clash on Tuesday
- Edin Terzic’s side hold a 1-0 lead after a first-leg victory in February
- The players put themselves to the test in the Honorable Artillery Company
Borussia Dortmund have been spotted training in London ahead of their crucial Champions League clash with Chelsea on Tuesday night.
The German team take on the Blues at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of the round of 16, leading 1-0 after Karim Adeyemi’s decisive goal in the first leg.
Dortmund trained at Chelsea’s stadium on Monday in preparation for the game, and Edin Terzic’s side have won 10 straight games since soccer resumed in Germany after the World Cup.
However, on the day of the match, Dortmund found themselves embroiled in a pre-match warm-up at the Islington Artillery Field.
This is a private location belonging to the Honorable Artillery Company (HAC), which is associated with the oldest regiment in the British Army.
Borussia Dortmund were seen training in London on Tuesday morning ahead of their Champions League round of 16 second leg clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the evening.
They were put to the test at the Honorable Artillery Company in central London.
Dortmund’s pre-game training session took place just hours before Tuesday night’s clash.
It hosts various types of events, in addition to sports such as cricket, rugby, archery and football, while maintaining an active regiment as a key part of the Army Reserve.
Renting a pitch in the iconic Islington Borough location costs £1,000 per hour plus VAT.
The HAC is located near Old Street Station and the public can book the facility by contacting the HAC.
Dortmund are expected to have had a light session as they began to warm up their players in preparation for the 8pm kick-off in west London.
It is not the first time that the German giants have entertained a random training session on the day of the Champions League tie against an English club.
Hiring a pitch at the iconic Islington Borough venue costs £1,000 an hour plus VAT
In 2014, Dortmund players were seen taking part in a training session at Regent’s Park ahead of their group stage clash with Arsenal.
The public park played host to the German team, then managed by Jurgen Klopp, despite the fact that it is often the venue for Camden and Regent’s Park Sunday league games.
At the time, the club described it as a “warm-up” training session on the recreational pitches.
On that occasion they lost to the Gunners 2-0 thanks to goals from Yaya Sanogo and Alexis Sánchez.
Dortmund had trained at Stamford Bridge on Monday night as part of their preparation.
Edin Terzic’s team, currently in excellent form, arrived in London on Monday.