Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti continued his love affair with the Champions League as he racked up a record-extending fifth triumph as a manager, but he acknowledged Borussia Dortmund had worried his side before they sealed a 2-0 win.
"You never get accustomed to this," the 64-year-old, who has won the trophy twice as AC Milan coach and three times at Madrid, told Movistar.
"It was very difficult, much more so than we thought it would be. First half, we had to suffer; second half, we lost the ball less, played better – but those are all trifling details now. We won. The dream continues."
Dortmund should have gone ahead in a dominant first half but Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior secured the win after the break.
"In the first half, I didn't like the level we were playing at. We lost the ball too often and in the wrong place. We let Dortmund play the way they wanted to – forcing turnovers and playing in transitions. That's where they're at their most dangerous," Ancelotti added.
He also won the European Cup twice as a Milan player.
Dortmund counterpart Edin Terzic is getting used to painful finales. His side missed out on winning the 2022-23 Bundesliga late on in the last game of the season and were now denied at Wembley despite playing well as underdogs.
"We deserved better than losing 2-0, especially in the first half. We delivered a really good performance against the most successful team ever in this competition. We came here to win," he said.
"They had that killer instinct and we lacked that. It was a set piece and then they stayed cool.
"But it felt as if we came into the game really well and matched them."